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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



"TO-DAY IF YE SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE, 
HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS." 



LESSONS«HEBREWS 



BY 

R. H. BOLL 



Nashville, Tenn. 
McQuiddy Printing Company 
1910 




Copyright, 1910, 

BY 

R. H. Boll. 



<kCi.A280275 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

A Home Bible Class 5 

Lesson I. — Heb. 1: 1, 2 9 

Lesson II— Heb. 1: 1-3 15 

Lesson III— Heb. 1: 4 to 2: 4 21 

Lesson IV.— Heb. 2: 5-18 31 

Lesson V.— Heb. 3: 1-16 38 

Lesson VI— Heb. 3: 7-19 43 

Lesson VII.— Heb. 4: 1-13 51 

Lesson VIII— Heb. 4: 1-13, Resumed 52 

Lesson IX.— Heb. 4: 14 to 5: 10 65 

Lesson X— Heb. 5: 11 to 6: 20 72 

Lesson XL— Heb. 7 82 

Lesson XII.— Heb. 8 91 

Lesson XIII— Heb. 9: 1-14 102 

Lesson XIV— Heb. 9: 15-28 Ill 

Lesson XV.— Heb. 10: 1-18 119 

Lesson XVI— Heb. 10: 19-39 127 

Lesson XVII.— Heb. 11 136 

Lesson XVIII— Heb. 11: 1-31 146 

Lesson XIX— Heb. 11: 32 to 12: 2 157 

Lesson XX.— Heb. 12: 3-13 168 

Lesson XXL— Heb. 12: 14-17 177 

Lesson XXII.— Heb. 12: 18-29 188 

Lesson XXIII.— Heb. 13: 1-6 195 

Lesson XXIV.— Heb. 13: 7-21 207 

Lesson XXV. — A View of the Whole of Hebrews 217 



PREFACE. 



The following lessons appeared, in substance, 
serially in the Gospel Advocate during the lat- 
ter half of the year 1905. Judging by the words 
of appreciation received by letter and word of 
mouth from friends all over the country and the 
urgent requests for the publication of these les- 
sons in book form, they must have been of real 
help to many. So, revised and corrected, with a 
few changes, they are at last presented in book 
form. 

These lessons are for "average people." 
They are not critical, nor exhaustive, but are 
an aid to home study. Those who do not care 
to study them according to directions will, I 
trust, find these lessons good to read. But to 
get the greatest benefit, follow the few instruc- 
tions and suggestions for study given in the 
course of the lessons, look up the references 
carefully, and ponder the questions. 

The writer made some use of a work of An- 
drew Murray's "The Holiest of All," which is 
a kind of devotional exposition of the Epistle. 
To this he is indebted for some of the points 
and arguments, and from it he also quotes a few 



Preface. 



times. From other of Mr. Murray's writings lie 
got the suggestion of concluding each lesson 
with a simple prayer that sums up and applies 
the chief truths learned. 

Since the chief benefit of this book lies not in 
itself, but in the inspired Epistle of which it 
treats, and to which it is merely a finger post, it 
is hopefully and gladly offered to all, with the 
wish that many may through it be led to study 
the "Letter to the Hebrews," to their help and 
infinite blessing. EOBEET H. BOLL. 

December, 1910. 



LESSONS ON HEBREWS. 



A HOME BIBLE CLASS. 

It has in time past been my privilege to pub- 
lish such series of lessons for home study in va- 
rious religious papers; and from the expres- 
sions of appreciation received from many sides, 
it appeared that those lessons filled a want. 
Many desiring to study the Bible are in need of 
some guidance and assistance and definite plans 
of work, and will be glad to take advantage of 
such hints and questions as will lead them to a 
closer scrutiny of the text, and, by this means, 
into a deeper knowledge of God's word. 

There is a crying need of Bible study, and 
faithful study will bring its own sweet reward. 
There is such a joy of discovery (Ps. 119: 162), 
such a quickening of zeal, enlargement of the 
spiritual horizon, strengthening of faith and 
courage, and renewing of the mind, as could 
never come by mere listening to sermons or 
reading of religious books and articles. These 
latter were, indeed, not meant for substitutes, 
but rather as aids and encouragement to Bible 
study. When they become substitutes, they are 



6 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



a bane, not a blessing. With the hope that 
many will take hold of these lessons and study 
them faithfully, and be by this means brought 
into closer touch with the words of life, and 
with the prayer that Grod's blessing be upon it, 
this series is begun. 

Plan of the Lessons. 

There will be no subtle analyses or elaborate 
outlines. It seems sometimes that such a dis- 
secting of God's word destroys the beauty, if 
not the life, of it, as the life and beauty of a 
flower are destroyed by the hand of the botanist 
who dissects it into its constituent parts. How- 
ever indispensable such a method may be for 
some purposes, it does not come within the 
range of these lessons, nor is it the need of the 
greater number of the readers. We can easily 
get a general view and outline of the Epistle 
when we shall have finished it. 

For each lesson we take a short portion of the 
text. We have plenty of time. We can weigh 
every sentence and phrase and word and medi- 
tate on it. The questions will not usually cover 
every point in the lesson, but will rather be cal- 
culated to provoke deeper research and thought 
and direct attention to such truths as might 
otherwise be overlooked. 

No commentary will be needed. A good com- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



7 



mentary used aright is a help, but it often be- 
comes the occasion of cheating its possessor out 
of the most beneficial and healthful of spirit- 
ual exercises — the using of his own mind, his 
own power of perception and reflection. Do 
not be deprived of the great advantage of learn- 
ing for yourself at first hand. Do not let even 
the few comments that will appear in these les- 
sons take the place of your own searching. 

How to Study. 

The most important suggestion I have to 
make is this: Study for spiritual benefit. You 
can gather into your mind a collection of facts, 
figures, and statements, and get no more good 
from it than if you had memorized the cata- 
logue of a museum or the inventory of a stor- 
age room. You can study in a spirit of con- 
troversy and gain little or nothing by your 
hunting down of "points." Lawyers, politi- 
cians, and even infidels., often show considerable 
acquaintance with the Bible text, but no evi- 
dence of the spiritual benefit they might have 
obtained from it. Something depends on the 
attitude of the student. 

Let it, then, not be sufficient to learn a list of 
biblical facts and truths. Let us look for prin- 
ciples. Let us study the meaning and imp< 
of each fact and its direct or indirect bearing 

o 



8 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



on our own life. Above all, let lis study to get 
nearer to God, to please Mm better, to know his 
will that we may do it, and that, being filled 
with his thought and his mind, we may be more 
like him. Never leave out of view the fact that 
you are studying the word of God, that it per- 
tains to the healing and welfare of your soul, 
and that God's eye is upon you. Study in sin- 
cerity and love and open your inmost heart to 
the truth. 

Look up whatever references are given. 
There will never be so many that they will be 
burdensome or confusing. If some question of 
special importance arises and you cannot set- 
tle it for yourself, the author will be glad to 
help you. 

For the first lesson: Read the Epistle over 
rapidly. Study verses 1 and 2 of the first chap- 
ter. Memorize them (to the word "Son" in 
verse 2). Who is he that spoke? Try to take 
that in. Meditate on the greatness and majesty 
of the One that spoke and what the fact means 
to us. Why did he speak? To whom did he 
speak? What part applies to us? 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



9 



LESSON I.— HEB. 1: 1, 2. 

1 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the 
prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, 2 hath 
at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son. 

This short lesson is extremely important. It 
is not only the foundation stone of this Epistle, 
but gives us a comprehensive view of the whole 
Bible. It is one of the landmarks of God's 
book, and so pithy that it contains almost 
everything in a nutshell, and forms a center 
from which almost every subject in God's book 
may be approached and studied. It gives us a 
clear-cut division of God's word, and this by 
itself will settle many a question. The conse- 
quences and corollaries that can be drawn from 
it, together with the remoter suggestions it con- 
tains, cover the whole field of God's dealing 
with man. Let us not be without this passage. 
Let us memorize it, retain it, repeat it, assimi- 
late it, teach and preach it. 

God Has Spoken. 

That is the first wonderful statement that 
meets our eye. Now, why has God spoken? 
Why was it necessary for him to speak? Could 
we not have searched and found out him and 



10 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



his will "by reason and philosophy? And what 
was the need of his speaking at all? Is not 
everything that is needful for human welfare 
within the range of our senses and our reason? 
Why do we need to know God and his will ? 

We see that this opens a great field of in- 
quiry. The Bible deals with these problems and 
has an answer for each of these questions. The 
conclusion, not only from the Bible, but from 
history and observation, is that man needs 
God — needs him for the highest development 
of his moral nature, for an eternal stronghold 
to cling to (for no human heart is independ- 
ent), for a standard and ideal, for a guide and 
a Father. But all the lower animals live in 
their animal sphere and fulfill the design of 
their nature without the need of dealing with 
a higher being; why should it be different with 
man? Man is an animal, but not that alone. 
He stands on the border land between the visi- 
ble and invisible world; he is the link between 
the material and spiritual. Moreover, his home 
is with God. God made man for himself and 
in his image; therefore no man can fulfill the 
design of his creation or obtain peace and hap- 
piness except in communion with God. So it is 
the chief object of man's existence to seek God 
and find him. (Acts 17: 26, 27.) But why is 
God hidden from us, and why are we separated 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



11 



from him? Was it always so? When did the 
separation occur? 

Now, if we have rightly answered these ques- 
tons, we can understand better why God has 
spoken. Let us illustrate. Suppose that a fa- 
ther and son have had enmity between them 
and have for a long time been separated. If 
the father should break the silence and send a 
letter to his son, showing him the way of ad- 
justment of difficulties and an offer of return, 
would it not show that the father is solicitous 
for his son and desirous of reconciliation and 
reunion? So has God sent us a message, in 
which we see his tender concern for us, his de- 
sire for reconciliation and reunion. He imparts 
to us his thoughts, shows us his love, points us 
to a hope and opportunity of return; and all 
this to bring us back to himself, that we 6 ' also 
may have fellowship . . . with the Fa- 
ther, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 
1:3.) His word is the only guide of approach. 

Where Has God Spoken? 

There are quite a number of books in the 
world for which it is claimed that they have 
come from God. The writer of Hebrews rec- 
ognizes only the word of the prophets that 
spoke to the Jewish fathers and the word that 
came through Jesus Christ. That includes sim- 



12 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



ply the Bible. If you know anything of the 
Koran, the Vedas, and other sacred books of 
the nations, and have had opportunity to com- 
pare them, can yon tell which of the sacred 
books of the world is most worthy of bearing 
God 's name as to authorship ? Which one pre- 
sents the highest and greatest God? Which 
one speaks of a God infinite in goodness and 
purity, in justice and love — a holy God who 
lives for his creatures ? Which one reveals the 
deepest insight into human nature? Which one 
is remarkable by its vast superiority over its 
times and surroundings in which it was writ- 
ten? Which one has had the widest and most 
beneficial influence over nations and individ- 
uals? You may confidently give the same an- 
swer to each of these questions. The Bible 
bears the stamp of the true God. 



With one deep stroke the Bible is cut into 
two great parts. Using, for the sake of brevity 
here, the wording of the King James Version, 
we diagram it thus: 



The Division. 



God Spoke. 



In times past. 
Unto the fathers. 
By the prophets. 



In these last days. 
Unto us. 
By his Son. 



The one part was spoken in times past; the 



Lessons on Hebrews. 13 



other, in these last days. The one, by the 
prophets, addressed to the fathers; the other, 
by the Son, addressed to ns. And these two 
pieces are bound together by the fact common 
to both, "God spoke." The same God spoke 
them both. "Witness the harmony of its parts, 
the unity of its design; the Xew Testament ful- 
fillment of Old Testament prophecies, types 
and promises with which the Epistle has much 
to do. And since the same God spoke them 
both, both parts are equally true and are of su- 
preme value, each in its place. Neither should 
we conclude that because the old message was 
addressed to the fathers it is of no use or mean- 
ing to us. (Rom. 15: 4; 2 Tim. 3: 16.) Only it 
concerns us indirectly, while the other applies 
to us directly and immediately. The message 
of Christ is our authority, the guide of the more 
perfect worship and service of the new cove- 
nant. 

* £ £ 

We thank thee, Holy Father, that it has been 
thy will and good providence that we, more 
than many others, should have free access to 
thy word and opportunity to know thy will. 
Make us more appreciative of this great privi- 
lege. May the fact that thou, God, hast spoken 
fill us with reverence and awe when we come 



14 Lessons on Hebrews. 



to study the word, lest we drift into a contempt- 
ful familiarity with it and handle it as a pro- 
fane thing, as we are too prone to do. And in- 
asmuch as thy speaking calls for our hearing, 
may our ears be open, our hearts receptive and 
willing. Let thy word be unto us a light in- 
deed and become in us the power for the en- 
lightening of others and for the final obtaining 
of the promise through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Amen. 

Note. 

For the next lesson study Heb. 1 : 1-3. Look 
up references. Study on Christ — who he is, 
what was his station before he came to earth, 
how and why he came, where he is now, and 
what he is doing. Why did God send his Son 
this time ? Why would prophets and angels not 
have served as well? Why could they manage 
the old covenant and not the new? This is 
worth thinking about. There will be some ex- 
planation of those things in the next lesson. 
After the next, the lessons will be longer. But 
these three verses form the groundwork of the 
Epistle and deserve more particular study. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



15 



LESSON II.— HEB. 1: 1-3. 

1 God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the 
prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, 2 hath 
at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom 
he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made 
the worlds; 3 who being the effulgence of his glory, and 
the very image of his substance, and upholding all things 
by the word of his power, when he had made purification of 
sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. 

The Son of God. 

The word which came to us in these last days 
is distinguished above all former messages in 
that it came through God's own Son. The new 
covenant — more wonderful, more perfect than 
the old — could not be intrusted into the hands 
of servants. God is a close economist. He 
wastes nothing. As long as men or angels are 
sufficient to accomplish a certain task, God 
gives it to them. The fact that the new mes- 
sage, and the work of redemption connected 
with it, was given into the hands of the Son, 
argues that there was no other being in the 
universe wise enough and mighty enough and 
great enough to bear it. Incidentally it shows 
how utterly ruined mankind must have been if 
the reclaiming and saving of the race required 
such an Agent. ' 6 God so loved the world, that 



16 Lessons oisr Hebrews. 



he gave his only begotten Son. ' ' Any gift less 
than that could not have sufficed, but without 
the Son the human race would have been left 
in sin and misery without hope. 

Who the Son Is. 

The inspired writer gives us some details 
concerning the Son, lest we pass on without 
duly understanding who he is that came to 
speak to us. He is the "heir of all things.' ' 
Everything will revert to him. The worlds, vis- 
ible and invisible, are his inheritance and his 
possession in the day when the Father shall 
sum up all things in Christ. (Eph. 1: 10.) He 
is the last. He is the first, too; for through him 
God made the worlds. (See John 1: 3.) 

It may be well here to spend a few moments 
in contemplation of Christ's existence before he 
came to the earth in our behalf. We find one 
passage in 2 Cor. 8 that speaks of his estate in 
eternity; two, very impressive, in John 17; and 
one in Phil. 2. What share did he have in the 
creation? (John 1: 3.) Did he create the 
world on his own plan or under the direction of 
the Father? Note the distinction between the 
two little words "of" and "through," which 
the American Eevised Version brings out in 
such passages as John 1: 3; 1 Cor. 8: 6; Heb. 
1: 2. "Of" denotes authorship here; and 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



17 



"through," the agency, medium, channel. 
God, the Father, created the world, but he did 
it through Christ. 

The Son was and is always the medium of 
expression through which the Father manifests 
himself. As such, he is the effulgence, the out- 
shining, of the Father's glory, and the very im- 
age of his substance. To know Christ is to 
know God. (John 12: 44, 45; 14: 9.) But to 
know God is the great need of man. That alone 
will bring him back into the divine fellowship 
and communion. Therefore did God speak to 
men, at first in the messages of the prophets, 
but now in the person of his Son — his very Im- 
age. Christ himself is now the message. In all 
he is, does, and says, he is the revealer of God. 
(John 1: 18.) He brought the invisible God 
within the range of our knowledge, that we 
may know him that is true. (1 John 5: 20, 21.) 
That means nothing less than eternal life. 
(John 17: 3.) 

As we have seen that the Son was the first, 
the beginning of all things, and that he is the 
last, the heir of all things, we learn now the ad- 
ditional fact that he is the middle also, for he 
continually sustains all things by the word of 
his power. Note how these three points are set 
forth in Col. 1: 16, 17— first, that all things, in 
heaven or on earth, visible or invisible, thrones. 
2 



18 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



dominions, principalities, powers, have been 
created through him; secondly, they have been 
created "for him," "unto him;" and, thirdly, 
"in him all things consist," or, as the margin 
tells ns, "in him all things hold together." 

Now this great and exalted Being, moved by 
his Father's good will and his own love toward 
ns, took upon him the work of purging us from 
our sins. It was a dirty task; his putting his 
hand on filthy lepers or washing his disciples' 
feet would hardly offer the faintest comparison 
to it. It was such a piece of work as only love 
could do gracefully. He could not do it at a 
distance. It required himself — his personal 
presence. Christ took our sins and unclean- 
nesses and all the horrors of our moral leprosy 
and death upon himself, and was made a curse 
for us. And having finished this work of love, 
he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty 
on high — not, however, to leave us to our- 
selves. There, at the throne of God, he makes 
perpetual intercession; and thence his interces- 
sion brings to us a continual stream of help, 
strength, power, and life. And just as no one 
except the Son of God was able to work out for 
us the redemption of the new covenant in its 
incipiency, so now no less a person than Jesus 
would be able to sustain and uphold us day by 
day in our Christian warfare. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



19 



Before the greatness of thy power and glory, 
God, and yet more before thy love, which 
passeth all knowledge, we bow ourselves into 
the dust and praise and bless thy holy name. 
We thank thee for that greatest of all gifts — 
thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. We thank 
thee that he was so faithful in his work of re- 
demption that he did not shrink back even from 
the cross, but drank all the cup for our sakes. 
And now we would draw nigh to thee through 
him, and, by virtue of his sacrifice, kindle anew 
our hope of eternal life, seeing he is able to save 
to the uttermost them that draw nigh unto God 
by him, for he ever liveth to make intercession 
for us. In every temptation, perplexity, and 
time of need may his intercession supply to us 
the needed grace, and may his power and love 
transform us, that we also may become images 
of God to reveal him to others. In Jesus' 
name. Amen. 

& & 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson will be Heb. 1: 4 to 2: 4. 
Why does he emphasize the superiority of the 
Son over the angels ? What did angels have to 
do with the former dispensation? Note, item 
by item, the excellencies of the Son as they are 
brought out here. Study over the meaning and 



20 Lessons on Hebrews. 



import of the last verse of chapter 1. See what 
is told us of ministering angels in Ps. 34: 7; 
91: 11; what bearing 2 Kings 6: 14-19 has on 
this point; what angels did for Daniel; in the 
New Testament, for Zacharias, for Joseph, for 
the women and disciples of the Lord, for Peter, 
for Paul, for Jesus himself. 

Let the first four verses of Heb. 2 sink into 
your heart. What great danger does he men- 
tion? What preventive? What unanswerable 
question? What words are to be emphasized 
in verses 2 and 3? Who first began to speak 
that great salvation? Who confirmed it to us? 
When? Is this passage important in "divid- 
ing the word of God ? ' ' To whom is this warn- 
ing chiefly addressed — to Christians or outsid- 
ers? 



Lessons on Hebeews. 



21 



LESSON III.— HEB. 1: 4 TO 2: 4. 

4 Having become by so much better than the angels, as 
he hath inherited a more excellent name than they. 5 For 
unto which of the angels said he at any time, 

Thou art my Son, 

This day have I begotten thee? 
and again, 

I will be to him a Father, 

And he shall be to me a Son? 
6 And when he again bringeth in the firstborn into the 
world he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 
7 And of the angels he saith, 

Who maketh his angels winds, 

And his ministers a flame of fire: 

8 but of the Son he saith, 

Thy throne, O Gad, is for ever and ever; 
And the sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of thy king- 
dom. 

9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; 
Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee 
With the oil of gladness above thy fellows. 

10 And, 

Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundation of 
the earth, 

And the heavens are the works of thy hands: 

11 They shall perish; but thou continuest: 

And they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 

12 And as a mantle shalt thou roll them up, 
As a garment, and they shall be changed: 
But thou art the same, 

And thy years shall not fail. 



22 Lessons on Hebrews. 



13 But of which of the angels hath he said at any time, 
Sit thou on my right hand, 

Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet? 

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to do 
service for the sake of them that shall inherit salvation? 

A Minister Greater Than Angels. 

The Epistle to the Hebrews is full of con- 
trasts and comparisons between the former 
messages and the last great message. This last 
message is surely the climax unless a greater 
messenger than the Son could be found, and 
the new covenant's superior authority is shown 
by the superior greatness of Him who brought 
and established it. We may entrust a minor 
errand to a child or servant, but the most vital 
transactions, if for any reason we cannot or 
choose not to attend to them ourselves, we en- 
trust only to the nearest, dearest, and most 
trustworthy person. So God was content for 
the old covenant to be brought through the 
ministration of angels; but "at the end of 
these days" he sent his own Son, the Heir 
and Creator and Upholder of all things. His 
greatness proves the vast importance of the 
message and stamps it with the highest author- 
ity of heaven. 

What did angels have to do with the former 
dispensation? (See Acts 7: 30, 38, 53; Gal. 3: 
19.) And now that men might honor and value 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



23 



the new message the more, the writer shows 
how much greater the Son is. His name is 
greater by inheritance. None of the angels ever 
bore that title. They are called "sons of God" 
in a figurative way; but this is the Son, God's 
"only begotten." He created all things, an- 
gels included (Col. 1: 16), and his they are. 
The first of his proof texts is from Ps. 2; the 
next is a somewhat peculiar application of 2 
Sam. 7: 14 — perplexing at first view, but, as a 
little thought will make clear, proper and beau- 
tiful. Turn to 2 Sam. 7: 12-16. As a whole, the 
passage cannot apply to Christ. Why not? 
But in it is contained the promise of David's 
seed and the everlasting kingdom. The prom- 
ise applied first to Solomon; next, to any son in 
the lineage of succession in the house of David; 
but preeminently to the great Son of David, 
elsewhere mentioned, for whom even the unbe- 
lieving Jews longed as their Messiah. (Matt. 
22: 42.) Hence it was not hard for the Jewish 
Christians to see that this passage was, in its 
widest bearing, Messianic ; and as the Messiah 
should be the extraordinary Son of David, so 
would he be the Son of God in an extraordinary 
sense. 

The fact that God commanded the angels to 
worship the Son (a quotation from the Septua- 
gint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, 



24 



Lessons on Hebbews. 



which, was then current) again marks the Son's 
superiority, if not divinity. Would yon con- 
clude from the wording of verse 6 (R. V.) that 
it refers to the second coming of Christ? 

Taking the quotation in verses 8, 9 as it 
stands in the text of both the King James and 
Eevised Versions, Christ is here honored with 
the title "God;" and yet he is subordinated to 
God, for his God anointed him. Besides the 
Son, there is no being in the universe to whom 
this language could be applied. Who are the 
"fellows," the comrades, above whom he was 
anointed — the old messengers of God (the 
prophets), or the human beings on earth among 
whom he lived, or his own redeemed, or the 
angels? And why and when was the Son 
anointed? Evidently after having stood his 
test and proved his love of righteousness and 
hatred of iniquity. (What does the word 
"Christ" mean?) One anointing was at the 
outset of his public career (Matt. 3: 16; Acts 10: 
38); but this passage seems rather to refer to 
his exaltation at the right hand of God (Acts 
2: 33). 

The next verses are as plain as they are sub- 
lime and beautiful. Christ is the Maker of all 
things, the Alpha and Omega, the unchange- 
able One — "the same yesterday, and to-day, 
and forever." Note how the present tense is 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



25 



used of him in Col. 1: 17: "He is before all 
things." Why does it not say: "He was be- 
fore all things?" And in John 8: 58: "Before 
Abraham was, I am." Why not, "I was?" 
What does that present tense signify? 

As for the angels, they are servant spirits. 
Do you recall any instances in the Old Testa- 
ment where angels rendered service and aid to 
God's people? In the New Testament, when 
did they minister to Christ, to his apostles and 
disciples? (Matt. 4: 11; 26: 53; Luke 22: 43; 
Acts 1: 10; 8: 26; 10: 3; 12: 17.) Is that prom- 
ise for us also? Then let us have faith in it and 
claim it. 

An Exhortation. (Heb. 2: 1-4.) 

1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to 
the things that were heard, lest haply we drift away from 
them. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved 
stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received 
a just recompense of reward; 3 how shall we escape, if we 
neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been 
spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them 
that heard; 4 God also bearing witness with them, both 
by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts 
of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will. 

"Therefore" — wherefore? Why should we 
give the more earnest heed to the gospel? We 
shall find exhortations and warnings inter- 
spersed throughout the whole Epistle, and it is 
in those parts that we catch a glimpse of the 



26 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



spiritual condition of the Hebrew Christians 
that called for such a letter. They were hard 
pressed on many sides. In many cases their 
friends, relatives, and teachers persecuted them 
and urged strong arguments in favor of their 
abandoning the faith in Christ and returning 
to the old, well-accredited religion of their fa- 
thers. Besides, there was the warfare within, 
the wear and tear of life's turmoils, which of 
itself, under the best conditions, will kill a 
man's spirituality, and which must be met by 
constant spiritual renewal, just as the physical 
wear and tear of our bodies calls for a constant 
renewal by means of food and drink. The pre- 
cious gift of the gospel must be maintained and 
sustained in our hearts; otherwise it will slip 
away from us, or, rather, we shall " drift" 
(note the word; it signifies the slow, impercep- 
tible, passive sliding from the right road) away 
from it. The superior authority and excellence 
of the new message make a departure from it 
the more serious in its consequences. 

How shall we escape if we neglect it? This 
was spoken to well-meaning people. He does 
not so much as mention the possibility of their 
openly rejecting and renouncing the gospel. 
The danger was not there. Multitudes of Chris- 
tians who would be horrified at the very sug- 
gestion of positively recanting their confession 



Lessons on Hebeews. 



27 



of Christ lose their hope by neglect. Ours is a 
religion that requires constant attention, like a 
growing garden. There are these alternatives: 
Either give earnest heed to the message of God, 
or else meet the unanswered, unanswerable 
question, "How shall I escape?" In reading 
verses 2, 3, emphasize the words "angels," 
"we," and "Lord." 

So Great Salvation. 

The first two verses of the first chapter gave 
us a grand division of the whole Bible, drawing 
the line of distinction between that which was 
spoken to the fathers and that which was 
spoken to us — the former, by the prophets; the 
latter, by the Son. The two messages were, of 
course, not the same. The first contained hints, 
shadows, prophecies, types, promises of the 
great salvation which was to come through the 
Son; yet that salvation was a mystery until the 
gospel came — saints, prophets, and angels won- 
dering and inquiring concerning it. (Eom. 16: 
25; Eph. 3: 9; 1 Pet. 1: 10-12.) The veil was 
first lifted by Jesus. It "at the first began to 
be spoken by the Lord. ' ' It was a salvation re- 
vealed to us in speech, and that first by the 
mouth of the Lord. So we need not look for 
it back of Christ's day, except in types and 
prophecies. 



28 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



Yet the Lord did not himself proclaim it to 
the world; but, having won the right to estab- 
lish the new order of things, he simply an- 
nounced it to his apostles (Matt. 28: 19, 20; 
Mark 16: 15, 16; Luke 24: 47), and made them 
his ambassadors and executors (John 20: 21- 
23; 2 Cor. 5: 20). Thus the salvation began at 
first to be spoken by the Lord, and was con- 
firmed unto us by them that heard him (the 
apostles), God bearing them witness. (Mark 
16: 20; 2 Cor. 12:12.) 

Did Paul Write This Letter? 

For a long time it was generally accepted 
that Paul was the author of Hebrews ; now it is 
believed that some one else, writing, perhaps, 
under Paul's supervision — at any rate, some 
one strongly imbued with Paul's manner of 
teaching — penned it. The style is somewhat 
different from Paul's; the language, calmer, 
statelier, and more ornate, although abounding 
in expressions peculiar to Paul's writing. But 
the chief argument lies in Heb. 2 : 3. Note Gal. 
1 : 1, 11, 12, and see how emphatically Paul de^ 
clares that he got his gospel directly from the 
Lord. Paul always had to meet opposition on 
this point, and at various times defended his 
apostleship in strong terms. Now (it is argued) 
surely Paul would not represent himself to the 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



29 



Hebrews as one who received the gospel at sec- 
ond hand, and say: "It was confirmed unto us 
[that is, to me and to you] by them that 
heard." This, however, is a matter of small 
moment. The instrument is nothing; the God 
who used it, everything. As for the stamp of 
divine authority, this Epistle bears, like the 
other books of the New Testament, its own tes- 
timony; and from the first the Christians ac- 
cepted, acknowledged, and honored it as a mes- 
sage from God. 

£ £ £ 

Our Father in heaven, we have to-day ob- 
tained a wider view of the glory of thy Son. 
We rejoice in this, our Savior, who is mighty 
to save. ~We thank thee that through him we 
have received the adoption as sons and have 
become heirs of salvation, and, as such, are be- 
ing attended by the angels of God that encamp 
round about them that fear him. But grant us, 
Father, wisdom and strength, that, recogniz- 
ing the graver responsibilities connected with 
higher privileges, we may not neglect that great 
salvation. Awaken us when we grow indiffer- 
ent; draw us back when we are drifting. Keep 
us mindful of thyself and thy love, that we may 
have a continual motive to serve thee. Let thy 
word become daily more precious to us, lift us 



30 



Lessors ox Hebrews. 



into closer communion in prayer, and grant us 
a final escape from all evil, for Jesus' sake. 
Amen. 

* * * 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson takes in Heb. 2: 5-18. 
Whence was the quotation in verses 6-8 taken? 
What made David ask the question? Study the 
context in Ps. 8. Was it the littleness or great- 
ness of man that impressed David ? What was 
God's original purpose and what his ultimate 
purpose regarding man? Is that now realized? 
Will it ever be? What assurance have we of it? 
How did Christ's exaltation make his death 
available to every man? Why was it so hard 
for the Jews to believe that the Messiah should 
have to suffer and die? How is the fitness of it 
explained in this lesson? In verse 11 both the 
sanctified and sanctifier are all of one — "one" 
what? In verse 13, how does the quotation, "I 
will put my trust in him," prove that Christ 
took part in the human nature and infirmities 
of his brethren? 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



31 



LESSON IV.— HEB. 2: 5-18. 

5 For not unto angels did he subject the world to come, 
whereof we speak. 6 But one hath somewhere testified, say- 
ing, 

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? 
Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 

7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; 
Thou crownedst him with glory and honor, 
And didst set him over the works of thy hands: 

8 Thou didst put all things in subjection under his feet. 
For in that he subjected all things unto him, he left noth- 
ing that is not subject to him. But now we see not yet all 
things subjected to him. 9 But we behold him who hath 
been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, be- 
cause of the suffering of death crowned with glory and 
honor, that by the grace of God he should taste of death 
for every man. 10 For it became him, for whom are all 
things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many 
sons unto glory, to make the author of their salvation per- 
fect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and 
they that are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he 
is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying, 

I will declare thy name unto my brethren, 
In the midst of the congregation will I sing thy praise. 
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Be- 
hold, I and the children whom God hath given me. 14 
Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he 
also himself in like manner partook of the same; that 
through death he might bring to nought him that had the 
power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver all 
them who through fear of death were all their lifetime sub- 



32 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



ject to bondage. 16 For verily not to angels doth he give 
help, but he giveth help to the seed of Abraham. 17 Where- 
fore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his 
brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful 
high priest in things pertaining to Gad, to make propitia- 
tion for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself 
hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that 
are tempted. 

Rulers of the Universe. 

"Not unto angels did lie subject the world 
to come." This "world to come" has been 
thought to refer to the present (the gospel) 
dispensation, called "the world to come" from 
the Old Testament point of view, in contradis- 
tinction to the former dispensation, which was 
under the rule of angels. (Verse 2.) This 
world (dispensation) is under the rule of Je- 
sus, the glorified Grod-man. But the word 
"world" in this place means — not "age," as it 
often does, but "inhabited earth." We would 
hardly take it to mean "dispensation," then; 
but it would naturally refer to the "new heav- 
ens" and the "new earth," wherein dwelleth 
righteousness, in which Christ will reign, and 
his people forever and ever. (Rev.. 22: 5.) It 
was God's design at the first that man, not (as 
in former ages and even now) angels, should 
have dominion over the earth; and here we see 
that design again, but enlarged so as to include 
man's rule of the whole universe. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



33 



Man's Littleness and Greatness. 

The portion of the universe we can behold 
with our eyes or reach with our greatest tele- 
scopes is probably only a small corner of God's 
immense handiwork, but the magnitude of even 
that portion is inconceivable. Our earth is the 
merest speck in it, insignificant, unnoticeable; 
and man is but a very small and very tempo- 
rary speck on the earth. It must have been 
when David was gazing into the starry heavens 
and was lost in wonder and awe of God's glory 
as revealed in the enormous galaxy above him 
that the Holy Spirit made him understand at 
one stroke how small and how great man is. 
66 Jehovah, our Lord," he exclaimed, "how 
excellent is thy name in all the earth, who hast 
set thy glory upon the heavens ! . . . When 
I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, 
the moon and the stars which thou hast or- 
dained; what is man that thou art mindful of 
him? and the son of man that thou visitest 
him?" It is a confession of littleness, but not 
that only; it is also an exclamation of wonder, 
astonishment, at what greatness man must hide 
in his lowly guise, that God, even God, would 
deign to notice him and visit him. What must 
man be if thou, great Maker of the universe, 
dost commune with him and deal with him? 
The Spirit supplies him the answer. God had 

3 



34 



Lessons ox Hebreavs. 



great designs in making man. For the time 
lie is lower than the angels; but what is he 
in God's ultimate purpose? See the answer in 
verses 7, 8. But has that design been fulfilled? 
"Not yet," which is a word of hope, for it im- 
plies that some time it shall be. What assur- 
ance have we of it! We see Jesus. We have 
known his career, his humiliation, his suffer- 
ing, his obedience unto death, his exaltation. 
Xow he is at the right hand of God, all author- 
ity in heaven and on earth committed to him, 
"angels and authorities and powers being made 
subject unto him." (1 Pet. 3: 22.) In his ca- 
reer we see the prophecy and prediction of 
ours. As he, so we. He is our forerunner. He 
is the Head; we are the body. If we suffer with 
him, we shall be glorified with him. As the ca- 
reer of the first Adam is the prophecy of the 
sin, failure, and death of his race, so the victory 
and exaltation of the second Adam is typical 
and prophetic of that of his new race; and the 
meanwhile Jesus Christ's exalted position 
makes the benefits of his sacrifice available to 
every man. (Compare Acts 5: 31.) 

The Stumbling-Block of the Jews. 

"We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a 
stumbling-block." Two things were very hard 
for the Jews to accept — one, that a human be- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



35 



ing could be the Son of God, or, rather, that the 
Son of God could have been man; the other, 
that their great Messiah should die — a crimi- 
nal's death, at that. The first of these Jesus 
tried to make clear to them (Matt. 22: 41-46); 
the second was the standing objection the Jews 
had to Jesus' claim to the Messiahship. "We 
have heard out of the law that Christ abideth 
forever; and how say est thou, The Son of man 
must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?" 
(John 12: 34.) The rest of this chapter (Heb. 
2) declares and explains the fitness of the Son's 
becoming man and suffering with and for man. 

"Both he that sanctifieth [Jesus] and they 
that are sanctified [the Christians] are all of 
one" — of one Father. So Jesus calls them 
"brethren." (See Matt. 12: 50; 28: 10.) But, 
still, Jesus preserved a distinction. If he is 
Brother, he is our Elder Brother, forever higher 
in rank and nearer the Father. If we are sons 
of God, yet he is the Son of God, the only begot- 
ten; and no one stands in equal rank with him. 
This distinction Jesus carefully observed in all 
his utterances on this subject. He never says 
"our Father," in common with the disciples, 
but "my Father" and "your Father;" never 
"our God," but "my God" and "your God." 
(John 20: 17.) But through his work of re- 
demption we become "partakers of the divine 



36 Lessons on Hebrews. 



nature," children of God; and so Jesus is not 
ashamed to call us " brethren." In the days of 
his flesh and his humiliation he was made like 
unto them; he, like they, was separated from his 
Father by the veil of flesh; like they, he must 
walk by faith, not by sight, and put his trust 
in God while passing through the darkness. 
(Heb. 2: 13.) The "children" mentioned in 
verse 13 are children of God presented to 
Christ. (John 6: 34; 17: 2.) Moreover, he 
tasted the whole lot of man, even unto tempta- 
tion, suffering, and death; and in dying he 
brought to naught the devil — first, because in 
his death he became an atonement and sin-of- 
fering for the sins of men; and, secondly, be- 
cause the devil could not keep him in the bond 
of death, seeing that death is the wages of sin, 
and in him was no sin. So it was a triumph in 
every way. To Christ, Satan is once for all a 
vanquished enemy. To all that are in Christ 
he is nothing more. Death cannot hold them 
(Rev. 1: 18) ; and instead of death's being their 
terror and curse, it is through Christ become a 
blessing (Eev. 14: 13). 

It so pleased God, then, and was a proper 
thing in his eyes, that Jesus, having come to 
bring help to men, should be united with them 
in the bond of a sympathy born of common ex- 
perience; that he should traverse the whole scale 



Lessons on Hebrews. 37 



of their weaknesses and sufferings, bear their 
burdens, fight their battles, win their victories, 
and blaze the path for them into a better life. 

Our Father, we thank thee for the wonderful 
provision thou hast made, that through the life 
and death and resurrection and high priesthood 
of Jesus Christ we may be admitted into near- 
ness to thee and obtain again the promise of 
the dominion of the universe, which our sin and 
disloyalty had forfeited. We spread our wants 
and weaknesses and sins before our High 
Priest, confident of his sympathy and mercy. 
Grant us through his intercession the victory 
over evil, the triumph over death, and the ex- 
altation that we may behold thy face and serve 
thee forever and ever. Amen. 

* * £ 

Suggestions and Questions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson covers Heb. 3 : 1-6. In what 
sense were these brethren holy? Why does he 
yet tell them to follow after holiness? (Heb. 
12: 14.) Note the similarity and dissimilarity 
between Jesus and Moses as set forth here. 
How was Moses' work a testimony of the things 
that were afterwards to be spoken? What con- 
dition insures us a continuance in G-od's house? 



38 Lessons on Hbbeews. 



LESSON V.— HEB. 3: 1-6. 

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly call- 
ing, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, 
even Jesus; 2 who was faithful to him that appointed him, 
as also was Moses in all his house. 3 For he hath been 
counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by so much as 
he that built the house hath more honor than the house. 
4 For every house is builded by some one; but he thai 
built all things is God. 5 And Moses indeed was faithful 
in all his house as a servant, for a testimony of those things 
which were afterward to be spoken; 6 but Christ as a son, 
over his house; whose house are we, if we hold fast our 
boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end. 

To the Holy Brethren. 

Is it customary among ns Christians to re- 
gard one another as holy? What kind of breth- 
ren are these he calls "holy?" Are they pat- 
terns and paragons, or were they weak, falter- 
ing, stumbling brethren? Note to whom the 
word "sanctified" (which is the same as 
"holy") is applied in the first Epistle to the 
Corinthians. (1 Cor. 1: 2; 6: 11.) So these 
also were made holy, as far as their standing 
before God is concerned, through their first ac- 
ceptance of Jesus Christ But their characters 
were not yet holy. That is why these Chris- 
tians, though already sanctified, are urged to 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



39 



follow after — that is, pursue — the sanctification 
without which no man shall see the Lord. 
(Heb. 12: 14; compare 1 Pet. 1: 15, 16.) In the 
same way Christians, who have "put on 
Christ" in baptism (Gal. 3: 27), are yet ex- 
horted to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Eom. 
13: 14). It is to make real in our own life and 
character that which has been imputed to us 
through the merits of Jesus Christ ; it is to work 
out in our career the salvation which at the out- 
set was freely bestowed upon us. But let us 
take note of the fact that a Christian, even a 
weak, faulty Christian, is a holy person, set 
apart unto God, sprinkled with the sanctifying 
blood. 

They were also partakers of a heavenly call- 
ing- — a call from heaven, a call to heaven. 
What does the word "apostle" mean? Why is 
Jesus called "the apostle of our confession?" 
(Compare John 20: 21.) Look up the word 
"consider" in the dictionary. Consider Jesus. 
(2 Cor. 3: 18.) 

Jesus and Moses. 

Here again w r e have one of the comparisons 
and contrasts with which this Epistle abounds. 
In what point was Jesus like Moses? Note that 
the expression "his house," in verses 2 and 6, 
refers in both to God's house, not Moses' house 



40 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



or Jesus' house. What was the chief distinc- 
tion between Jesus and Moses in relation to 
God's house? (Verses 3, 4.) What was an- 
other great contrast between them? (Verses 
5, 6.) Elsewhere in the Bible the likeness of 
Moses to the Messiah is touched upon. (Acts 
3: 22.) It will be instructive to seek out the re- 
semblances and differences in the two persons 
and careers. 

The latter part of verse 5 is important. It 
states that Moses' work was only "for a testi- 
mony" of the greater message that was to fol- 
low. As the shadow testifies to the substance, 
as the type bears witness of the antitype, so the 
Mosaic dispensation bore its testimony to the 
gospel. (Eom. 3: 21; John 5: 46.) 

Value of Hope. 

The conditions of final success are very 
markedly presented in this letter. In verse 6 
we have the condition on which we shall finally 
be accepted as the "house of God." It is: "If 
we hold fast our boldness [the courage of our 
faith that sustains us, and without which we 
faint and surrender in the face of opposition] 
and the glorying of our hope firm unto the 
end." We hold our hope too cheap and uncer- 
tain. Instead of glorying in it, we are diffident 
about it; and just as cheap as we hold it, so 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



41 



cheaply do we let it go. We need hope. We 
must be assured of the ultimate success of our 
warfare. We must maintain this attitude in 
the teeth of all scoffings, ridicule, and opposi- 
tion, else we shall lose in the conflict. 

£ * * 

Our Father, thou hast magnified our privi- 
leges infinitely above those of thy people of old. 
Instead of being under a servant, the Son's gen- 
tle, omnipotent watch care is over us; instead 
of living and worshiping in types and shadows, 
the eternal realities of the new covenant have 
come upon us. We pray thee to open our eyes 
and hearts to a greater realization and appre- 
ciation of the blessings thy love has bestowed 
on us in Christ. May we be bold in his name, 
and may our hope be our boast, our glory, our 
inspiration continually, that when the end 
comes we may be found in him and accepted as 
living stones in God's spiritual temple forever. 
Amen. 

* * £ 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson (Heb. 3: 7-19) is a deep and 
earnest admonition. Let us study it with un- 
usual care. Most of us need just that more than 
aught else. Why does he emphasize the "to- 



42 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



day" so heavily? How do we harden our 
hearts against God's word? Why does he plead 
with us not to harden our hearts? With what 
kind of mind ought we to approach the Bible? 
How long was the "day" of Israel's trial men- 
tioned in verse 8? What is the significance of 
the expression "take heed?" What does 
"haply" mean? Is it faith or works that is 
made the condition of final acceptance here? 
Why was Israel deprived of the promise of Ca- 
naan? There is much more in this lesson than 
appears on the surface. It will richly reward 
humble and earnest study. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



43 



LESSON VI.— HEB. 3: 7-19. 

7 Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith, 
To-day if ye shall hear his voice, 

8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, 
Like as in the day of the trial in the wilderness, 

9 Where your fathers tried me by proving me, 
And saw my works forty years. 

10 Wherefore I was displeased with this generation, 
And said, They do always err in their heart: 
But they did not know my ways; 

11 As I swear in my wrath, 

They shall not enter into my rest. 

12 Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any 
one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from 
the living God: 13 but exhort one another day by day, so 
long as it is called To-day; lest any one of you be hardened 
by the deceitfulness of sin: 14 for we are become partakers 
of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence 
firm unto the end: 15 while it is said, 

To-day if ye shall hear his voice, 
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. 
16 For who, when they heard, did provoke? nay, did not all 
they that came out of Egypt by Moses? 17 And with whom 
was he displeased forty years? was it not with them that 
sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to 
whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but 
to them that were disobedient? 19 And we see that they 
were not able to enter in because of unbelief. 

To-Day. 

God's warning points ns to the "now" as the 
good time. "To-day" is God's counsel; "to- 



44 



Lessons on Hebbews. 



morrow" is the devil's suggestion. Satan does 
not care how many good resolutions you make, 
just so they are for to-morrow. To-morrow 
never comes; to-day is all the time at our dis- 
posal. "Behold, now is the acceptable time; 
behold, now is the day of salvation. ' ' Whether 
for the sinner to come to Christ or for the erring 
Christian to return to him, to-day is the time, 
now is the opportunity. It has been pointed out 
that this call to come to-day is in itself a prom- 
ise as well as a command and a solemn warn- 
ing — a promise, because now, even now, God 
stands ready to receive you, heal and help you, 
and bestow upon you the blessings your soul 
yearns for, all the great promises of the gospel, 
be the obstacles what they may. If you were 
obliged to wait till you are better or your temp- 
tations fewer, your difficulties smaller, your 
strength greater, or till your feelings agreed 
with your will — if any of these changes must 
first occur, God would never have said "to- 
day." In saying "to-day," God proposed to 
take you just as you are, forgive your sins, help 
your weaknesses, give you grace according to 
all your needs in your present circumstances. 

Harden Not Your Heart. 

With what an attitude of childlike openness 
of mind, readiness to hear, believe, obey; with 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



45 



what a sense of privilege and reverence and sub- 
mission we should approach the word of God! 
If God speaks, how should man hear? Every- 
thing depends on our attitude of mind. The 
word is good and perfect, but it does not bring 
forth the same good results in every man. In 
some it bears a hundredfold; in some, sixty; in 
some, thirty; in some, none at all. To some it is 
light and life; in others it occasions deeper 
darkness and death. How often we have read 
it carelessly and heedlessly, or, like the rich 
young ruler, have turned sorrowfully away 
from it ! It is easy for us to harden our hearts 
against God's word. We have the power and 
privilege of doing so. We do it when we pro- 
crastinate, disregard (Zech. 7: 11-13) or try to 
drown out the pangs of the awakened con- 
science by pleasure and diversion. But the 
Spirit pleads with us for our life's sake not to 
harden our hearts. And if you have hitherto 
met God's word with less respect than it de- 
mands; if you have disregarded it and have 
listened carelessly and have procrastinated, the 
Holy Spirit says to you: "Change now." "To- 
day if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your 
hearts. ' ' Think of that when you pick up your 
Bible, "while it is called To-day." 



46 Lessons on Hebrews. 



What Kind of Day? 

The word "day" has a peculiar significance 
in this context. It is not a twenty-four-hour 
day. It may not be that long; it may be many 
twenty-four-hour days. It is simply the pres- 
ent time of opportunity, the day of grace to- 
ward us ; it is our day of trial, like unto that of 
Israel when God led them out of the land of 
bondage. How long was that day? Not the 
forty years. The forty years of wandering was 
the punishment and curse consequent upon 
their failure to stand their test in the day of 
trial. Their day of trial lasted just about one 
year, during which they tempted God and dis- 
obeyed and disbelieved until he swore in his 
wrath: "They shall not enter into my rest." 
For which cause they wandered in the wilder- 
ness forty years, till all that generation had 
died. (Num. 14: 20-35.) 

" Take Heed." 

This is the equivalent of the commoner ex- 
pressions: "Watch!" "Take care!" "Look 
out!" It points to a danger of the unexpected 
kind, or a danger that slips in unawares and 
will work its mischief before it is recognized. 
So likewise the word "haply." It means in 
this connection "accidentally," "unexpected- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



47 



ly," something likely to "happen." See how 
that word is used in Heb. 2: 1 and in Luke 21: 
34 (A. E. V.). " Haply " comes of itself, by 
simple neglect. A man will not ' ' haply" walk 
to the top of a hill; but he must watch, lest 
"haply" he slide down. Xo man "haply" 
raises a crop of corn; but if he is not diligent, 
his field may "haply" become a patch of weeds. 
Downward is the constant tendency. Yon can- 
not close your eyes a minute, lest "haply" you 
slip and fall; you cannot rest in secure idleness 
or give yourself up to the current of the world 
one day, lest "haply" you are sucked into the 
whirlpool of destruction. The constant down- 
ward tendency must be met by constant appli- 
cation of upward forces. (Prov. 1: 32; 19: 16.) 

Now the thing they must "take heed" about, 
lest "haply" it befall them, is the "evil heart 
of unbelief." Unbelief is the natural down- 
ward tendency. Close your eyes and fold your 
hands, and unbelief creeps into your heart. 
Faith must be sustained just like a fire must 
be fed. And with what fuel? Rom. 10: 17 — 
that and our exhorting of one another. Is sin 
deceitful? How? How are we hardened by 
the deceitfulness of sin? Now the opposite of 
slipping and sliding and drifting is "holding 
fast." So that condition must be fulfilled be- 



48 Lessons on Hebrews. 



fore we can be partakers with Christ. When is 
the "end" spoken of in verse 14? 

Israel's Unbelief. 

Jesus and Moses are compared at the outset 
of this chapter. While the writer proceeds to 
show the consequence of Israel's hardening 
their hearts against the message of Moses, the 
implication is throughout that as much more 
serious in proportion as our Leader is superior 
to Moses will be the results that shall follow 
for us if we turn a deaf ear to the message of 
the Son. 

Have you noticed how faith, not works, is 
here made the condition of acceptance? Not 
to the exclusion of works. But works are sec- 
ondary. They follow faith and are insepara- 
ble from it. Make the tree good, and its fruit 
will be good. It is interesting and helpful to 
study the cause of Israel's rejection from the 
promised land. It was not because they were 
weak, nor because they were in numbers un- 
able to cope with the Canaanites. Weak they 
were, few they were, and strong were their ene- 
mies; but they would have been conquerors for 
all that if they had only believed God and 
risked themselves over on his word and prom- 
ise. But they looked at the things that were 
seen instead of the things that are not seen. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 

m 



49 



Their eyes, not God's word, was their standard 
of measurement, and God swore in his wrath: 
' t They shall not enter into my rest." So do 
we lose the chance of conquest because we have 
not the faith and courage to rely upon God 
when the odds seem against us. That is the evil 
heart of unbelief out of which comes only one 
fruit — disobedience. 

* € 4t 

God, our Father, forgive us for the care- 
less, indifferent, and irreverent way in which 
we have looked upon thy word often in times 
past. Now we come to accept thy gracious 
warning and invitation. Now, while it is called 
"to-day," we open our hearts to the searching, 
smiting, and healing power of thy word. Now 
we would claim thy promises and thy help 
against our many difficulties and spiritual ene- 
mies. Preserve us from the curse of an evil 
heart of unbelief, and save us from the deceit- 
fulness of sin. Give us an entrance into thy 
rest through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

* * * 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

Heb. 4: 1-13 is the next lesson. What is the 
connection with the foregoing lesson? What 

4 



50 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



kind of rest was promised to them? What kind 
to us? Why did they fail to enter? Was it be- 
cause they never started, or was it because they 
did not persevere? What does their experience 
mean to us? What shall we fear? In what 
shall we be bold? Should we, like Israel, be 
discouraged at our weakness or the strength of 
our enemies ? By whose power shall we win the 
victory — our own or Christ's? How much 
power has he? How much can I do with him? 
(Phil. 4: 13.) How much without him? (John 
15: 5.) 



Lessons on Hebeews. 



51 



LESSON VII.— HEB. 4: 1-13. 

1 Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left 
of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have 
come short of it. 

This lesson is the sequence and application of 
the one preceding. "They were not able to en- 
ter in because of unbelief" were the last words 
of the third chapter. Enter into what? The 
land of Canaan, to be sure. But what would 
that mean to them? An end of their migra- 
tions, a settled home, the realization of the 
promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 
as far as its earthly application went. It was 
this rest from their homeless wandering that 
they had missed when God swore in his wrath: 
"They shall not enter into my rest." But why 
did God bring the people forth from Egypt? 
Was it not that he might bring them into Ca- 
naan? Without the entrance into Canaan, the 
deliverance from Egypt meant very little, after 
all. And since by unbelief they failed to enter 
the promised land, it makes little difference 
that they had the initial faith to leave Egypt. 
(Heb. 11: 29.) 



52 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



What It Means to Us. 

It means to us just what it meant to the wa- 
vering Hebrew Christians to whom the letter 
was addressed; and to them it meant that if 
they did not hold fast the beginning of their 
confidence firm unto the end (3: 14), they should 
not enter into their rest nor be partakers with 
Christ. And, then, what would it matter even 
if they did at one time have the faith to make 
the start and by first obedience to the gospel 
leave Egypt? Faith is not the spurt of a mo- 
ment in which we cry out: "I believe/' It is 
a steady principle, an habitual attitude, and 
must not cease, but grow stronger as we pro- 
ceed and experience the faithfulness of G-od. 
But they are not few that had faith to leave 
Egypt and not faith enough to enter Canaan. 
To all such, and to those who have this ten- 
dency to stop short and revolt from, or at least 
cease to press on after, their Leader, the Epis- 
tle to the Hebrews is addressed. Let us not 
harden our hearts when we hear God's reason- 
ing in this letter, as Israel hardened their hearts 
in the day of trial. Here is the good Spirit 
pleading with us not to grow faint, not to back- 
slide, or (which sums up all in a word) not to 
let go of our faith. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 53 



Let Us Fear, 

Now it is essential for us to know what to 
fear and where to be bold. Commonly we fear 
the very thing we should face boldly in the 
name of God, and are vainly confident and in- 
indifferent where we might well tremble. 
There is a fear that comes of unbelief; there 
is another fear of which unbelief is the object. 
(Eead Isa. 41: 8-14; 43: 1, 2; Jer. 1: 8, 17.) 
That first kind of fear God wants us to dismiss. 
In regard to the terror and apprehensions the 
wicked have in times of trouble, God says: 
"Fear not their fear, neither be troubled." 
Neither are the difficulties, temptations, and 
dangers that beset us proper objects of fear. 
Eead the account of Peter's walking on the wa- 
ter. (Matt. 14: 22, 23.) Peter's fear (verse 
30) was afterwards called "doubt" by the Sav- 
ior (verse 31). You will notice, too, that Peter 
was afraid of the wrong thing. His peril was 
not in the wind and waves, but in taking his 
eyes and his mind off the Lord, who alone was 
able to make him stand. To distrust him was 
the thing to fear and shun. Likewise read the 
experience of Israel at the border of Canaan. 
(Num. 13: 31.) What was their mistake and 
sin? Fearing the wrong thing. They trem- 
bled at the multitude and size of their enemies, 
at the fortified cities, at their own smallness 



54 Lessons on Hebrews. 



and weakness; but they were bold to distrust 
and disobey God. They did not understand 
where the danger lay. 

Now, what do we fear? Likely the wrong 
thing. Though, as in the case of Peter on the 
water, the Lord stands as our power and surety 
of a successful journey. He is able, he says, to 
keep you from stumbling (Jude 24), able to 
make you stand (Eom. 14: 4); and all your 
power of standing, as in Peter's case again, lies 
in Christ. We are kept by the power of God, 
through faith. (1 Pet. 1:5.) What, then, have 
we to dread? Just one thing: lest we gradu- 
ally or otherwise take our minds and hearts off 
the Lord — lest we lose faith. Connect the last 
verse of Heb. 3 with the first of Heb. 4, and you 
will see that unbelief is the danger to fear. 
Look at the context of Eom. 11 : 20, and see the 
same point there. 

I have dwelt on this at length, because it is so 
exceedingly important. We are all prone to 
forget the fact that Christ, Christ, Christ alone, 
is our power to uphold us ; that only he will and 
can; that he is made unto us wisdom and right- 
eousness and sanctfication and redemption, and 
that in him only is our boast. We look at the 
evils of the world, and fear; we look at obsta- 
cles and difficulties, and measure our strength, 
and feel either encouraged or despairing. We 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



55 



depend on our characters ; we rely on our abili- 
ties, wisdom, ingenuity in fighting the great 
battle against sin. All these attitudes are 
wrong, and end in certain defeat. But see what 
these wavering Hebrews needed. " Consider 
Jesus!" (Heb. 3: 1.) Look on him, gaze on 
him intently as the astronomer gazes on a con- 
stellation, as the mariner on his guiding star. 
Jesus is held up from the beginning to the end 
of this Epistle. Jesus in heaven, as our High 
Priest, exercising continual and divine influ- 
ence upon his people on earth; Jesus, all-pow- 
erful; Jesus, compassionate and gentle toward 
the ignorant and erring; Jesus, the perfect Sac- 
rifice — in one word, Jesus, our Savior. "Let us 
run with patience the race that is set before us, 
looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of 
our faith." This is the keynote of the letter, 
as far as its practical application is concerned. 

This is lesson enough for one time. It is 
worth meditating on. It can transform your 
life of timidity and vain self-reliance into a life 
of trust and victory through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. 

* * * 

Our Father in heaven, we have had faith 
enough to accept Jesus as our Lord, repent of 
our sins, confess him with our lips, and be bur- 



56 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



ied with him in baptism. So we have, by thy 
grace and through faith, been delivered from 
the world and become thy children. Now we 
need thy gentle, solemn words of warning, lest, 
having had faith to leave Egypt, we have not 
faith enough to follow unto Canaan. Show us 
where the real danger lies, and where the true 
source of success and victory. May thy faith- 
inspiring word become more precious in our 
eyes. May our minds be continually stayed on 
Jesus as our continued help. Forgive us our 
past carelessness and unbelief, for now we 
would hearken to thy word with hearts no 
longer hardened. Father, give us strength and 
victory, in Jesus' name. Amen. 

£t £i £t 

For the next lesson: We continue on Heb. 4: 
1-13. See what more you can see in it. What 
kind of rest was promised them? What kind 
to us? What have unbelief and disobedience to 
do with each other? Study verses 12, 13, par- 
ticularly. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



57 



LESSON VIII.— HEB. 4: 1-13, RESUMED. 

1 Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left 
of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have 
come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good tidings 
preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hear- 
ing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith 
with them that heard. 3 For we who have believed do en- 
ter into that rest; even as he hath said, 

As I sware in my wrath, 

They shall not enter into my rest: 
although the works were finished from the foundation of 
the world. 4 For he hath said somewhere of the seventh 
day on this wise, And God rested on the seventh day from 
all his work; 5 and in this place again, 

They shall not enter into my rest. 
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some should enter 
thereinto, and they to whom the good tidings were before 
preached failed to enter in because of disobedience, 7 he 
again defineth a certain day, To-day, saying in David so 
long a time afterward (even as hath been said before), 

To-day if ye shall hear his voice, 

Harden not your hearts. 
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have 
spoken afterward of another day. 9 There remaineth there- 
fore a sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For he that 
is entered into his rest hath himself also rested from his 
works, as God did from his. 11 Let us therefore give dili- 
gence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the 
same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is 
living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, 
and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both 
joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and 



58 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature that is 
not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and laid 
open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do. 

Let us fear, then, this one thing — the leaking 
away of our faith and drifting away from the 
grace of God. The word translated 6 ' come 
short of" is used also in Heb. 12: 15, with an 
illustration of what it means immediately fol- 
lowing. We are, as antitypes, in the same po- 
sition with Israel, who, having passed through 
the Eed Sea, were to follow their leader into 
the promised land. Paul calls attention to that 
fact in 1 Cor. 10. Their gospel (glad tidings) 
was of the land of promise and rest from their 
wandering; ours is of the New Jerusalem and 
rest with God after our pilgrimage. Just as 
their gospel failed to do some of them good, so 
our greater gospel fails to benefit some of us, 
and for the same reason — lack of faith. Hard 
hearts, wayside hearts, stony-ground hearts, 
thorny-ground hearts — hearts in which only a 
thin film of receptive soil is found for the word, 
or in which "the lust of other things" crowds 
out the word — these are the evil hearts of unbe- 
lief that manifest themselves in falling away 
from the living God. (Heb. 3: 12.) To-day 
when you hear God's voice, harden not your 
heart. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



59 



We Are Entering. 

"Rest" is a sweet word. We like to think of 
the future rest promised to those who "die in 
the Lord from henceforth." (Eev. 14: 13.) 
But our rest is not altogether in the future. Je- 
sus called us for rest. "Come unto me, all ye 
that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn 
of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and 
ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke 
is easy, and my burden is light." "Rest in the 
Lord," said the psalmist, "and wait patiently 
for him. ' 9 

" We need not wait for the longed-for peace 
Till our journey is over and our labors cease. 
We can rest in the midst of our busiest day 
If the Master meets us on the way." 

The rest of faith begins here. The verb is in 
the present. "We who have believed do enter 
into that rest." It is not a ceasing from activ- 
ity, neither here nor in the life to come. There 
"his servants shall serve him." It was not 
ceasing from activity even in God's rest on his 
Sabbath day. Jesus said: "My Father work- 
eth hitherto, and I work." (John 5: 17.) The 
rest, to us, is the rest of victory — a heart stayed 
on God, the calm poise of the soul, the peace 
unruffled and unshaken by whatever comes or 



60 Lessons on Hebrews. 



goes. It is the sharing in God's tranquillity and 
calm power, the satisfaction in his works and 
plans which were finished from the foundation 
of the world. Into this rest we enter by faith. 
"Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, 
a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure 
foundation: he that believeth shall not be in 
haste." (Isa. 28: 16.) Even now as we trust 
in God and live in his will, his wisdom, his 
goodness and providence, and rely upon his 
power for sustenance and victory, we shall see 
the less of flustration, nervous anxiety, appre- 
hensions of evil, dread of to-morrow, storms 
and tempests of the heart. The rest begins 
here, to be perfected forever "over there." 

The entrance of Israel into the land of prom- 
ise is typical of our rest. It was not the real rest 
of God, but a shadow of it. It meant for them a 
transition from a wilderness to a land flowing 
with milk and honey, from wanderings to a 
home land. A like rest is vouchsafed to the be- 
lieving soul. If that had been the ultimate rest 
God had in store for his people, would it not 
have been fulfilled when Joshua (in the Author- 
ized Version "Jesus," the Greek form of the 
name "Joshua," is used) led them across the 
Jordan? And how could David, then, so long 
a time afterwards, still have spoken of another 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



61 



day of opportunity to enter into the promised 
rest? (Heb. 4:6-8; see also Ps. 95: 7.) 

Note how "unbelief" and "disobedience'' 
are used interchangeably in Heb. 3: 19; 4: 6. 
See how the same usage occurs in John 3: 36 
(American Eevised Version). What relation 
between "unbelief" and "disobedience?" 
Look at the expression "obedience of faith" 
in Eom. 1 : 5 ; 16 : 26. What do you conclude to 
be the difference between the obedience of faith 
and the obedience of the law? (Rom. 10: 5.) 

The Word of God. 

In one verse here the writer makes five state- 
ments concerning the word. The word of God 
is living. It is a seed. If permitted to grow, its 
life will manifest itself in the soul. It is pow- 
erful. (Jer. 23: 28, 29.) It has power to create, 
power to destroy, power to kill and to raise 
from the dead, power to heal and to afflict, 
power to remit and to retain sin, power to 
awaken and save, power to harden and con- 
demn. Whether its power will work good or 
ill to us depends altogether on our attitude to- 
ward the word. To those who are humble and 
reverent toward it (Isa. 66: 2), willing to hear 
and learn and obey, it will bring the highest 
blessing; but those who harden their hearts and 
fight against it — it will rise up against them and 



62 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



slay them. How many instances do you know 
where the word is spoken of as a sword? What-^ 
is the significance of the figure? Why, as he 
explains here, is it "sharper than any two- 
edged sword?" In what respect and how is it 
sharper? How does the word discern the 
thoughts and intents of the heart ? It is a mir- 
ror in which we behold the glory of the Lord 
(2 Cor. 3: 18) and can see ourselves as God sees 
us and as we look in comparison to the perfect 
One. This is humiliating and disagreeable. 
But the word of God, like the surgeon's knife, 
wounds only to heal. Instead of leaving us 
miserable and downcast, it leads us to forgive- 
ness and purity and hope. We easily deceive 
ourselves; and a self-deceived man falls into 
a pit, for he is a blind man. Is it a great bless- 
ing to be undeceived? See how David prayed 
for it. (Ps. 139: 23, 24.) In Ps. 19: 11, 12 the 
connection shows that it is God's word that re- 
veals the heart to itself. The word is a judge 
also, as well as a mirror. (John 12: 48.) 

Then he passes on from the word to the God 
who spoke it. We cannot deceive him. We 
may harden our hearts against his word; we 
may hide ourselves from his light ; we may, like 
the ostrich, hide our heads in the sand and 
fancy that because we see and know nothing, 
therefore we are not responsible. But God lives 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



63 



and knows and sees. He takes note of how we 
deal with his word. Here is a warning. (Heb. 
3: 7 to 4: 11.) It is God's word. Does it fit 
your case? Did you weigh it and let its heart- 
searching light enter? Or did you pass it by 
slightingly and indifferently? Be sure God 
knows ; and as you deal with the word, you deal 
with God, and so will he deal with you. 

Almighty God, who in love and mercy hast 
spoken to us, warned us, and proffered thy help 
in thy word, help us to open our souls to thy 
truth, though it should cut and wound. We 
would not shrink from that most wise and lov- 
ing touch of our great Physician. We would 
not turn aside from the serious thoughts that 
rise in our hearts when thou dost reveal our- 
selves to ourselves. We would not drown out 
the God-awakened conscience with frivolities. 
Yet at our best we esteem thy word of warning 
too little. Give us a higher appreciation of thy 
counsel and more reverence. Show us more 
light, and give us grace and strength to walk 
in it. Lead us into thy rest through faith in our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 



64 Lessons on Hebrews. 



Questions and Suggestions on the Next Lesson. 

Lesson IX. extends from Heb. 4: 14 to 5: 10. 
What exhortation in verse 14? Do you find it 
often in this Epistle? On what grounds does he 
exhort us to "hold fast?" Why should that be 
an encouragement to us? What is "bold- 
ness ? ' ' When shall we look for grace to help ? 
Note seven points in the description of the 
earthly high priest. Then see how step for step 
they are applicable to Christ. To what special 
occasion in Christ's life could verses 7 and 8 
refer? 



Lessons on Hebhews. 



65 



LESSON IX.— HEB. 4: 14 TO 5: 10. 

14 Having then a great high priest, who hath passed 
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast 
our confession. 15 For we have not a high priest that can- 
not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one 
that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet 
without sin. 16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness 
unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and 
may find grace to help us in time of need. 

1 For every high priest, being taken from among men, 
is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he 
may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: 2 who can bear 
gently with the ignorant and erring, for that he himself 
also is compassed with infirmity; 3 and by reason thereof 
is bound, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for 
sins. 4 And no man taketh the honor unto himself, but 
when he is called of God, even as was Aaron. 5 So Christ 
also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he 
that spake unto him, 

Thou art my son, 

This day have I begotten thee: 

6 as he saith also in another place, 
Thou art a priest for ever 
After the order of Melchizedek. 

7 Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers 
and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him 
that was able to save him from death, and having been 
heard for his godly fear, 8 though he was a Son, yet learned 
obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 and having 
been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him 
the author of eternal salvation; 10 named of God a high 
priest after the order of Melchizedek. 

5 



66 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



Hold Fast. 

When, after the long exhortation (3: 7 to 4: 
13), the argument is resumed, it is to enforce 
the admonition, 6 6 Hold fast," on new grounds. 
This is a letter to backsliders and to those who 
are inclined to be neglectful. "Hold fast!" is 
its chief burden, the appeal that rings through 
every page. That we should hold fast; why we 
should; how we may; how we can; what will 
result if we do, and what if we do not — this is 
of prime importance to us all, for no danger is 
greater and more universal and more insidious, 
because none comes so unobserved and destroys 
the very desire of living unto God as does 
the tendency to carelessness and backsliding. 
Hear, then, another reason why you should 
"holdfast." (Eev. 3:11.) 

Our Great High Priest. 

We have a great High Priest. He is for us; 
he is ours. All his power, grace, faithfulness, 
is at our disposal. There is, therefore, no need 
or use of giving up. "Having then a great 
high priest, . . . let us hold fast." What 
hinders you from availing yourself of his help 
and intercession? Is it that you are so weak 
and have failed so often, and have no confidence 
that you will be able to do better in the future 
than you have done in the past, and so you are 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



67 



ashamed before Jesus and perhaps afraid of 
him? Then verse 15 answers your trouble ex- 
actly. (Compare Heb. 2: 17, 18.) 

What is boldness ! The highest form of con- 
fidence — fearless, undoubting, unwavering. So 
must we come to the throne of grace. What 
truth did he give here to produce in us such 
boldness? What is meant by ''the throne of 
grace?'' What is grace? How does grace help 
us? (See 2 Cor. 12: 9; Phil. 4: 13.) Our time 
of need is always, but sometimes we realize 
our' need more acutely. It is for every time 
of need and for every kind of need that Jesus 
has a help, if only we come with the boldness 
of faith — faith in his power and tender sympa- 
thy — to claim it. Again, it is plain that thus 
we can "hold fast,' 5 and that no sort of need 
or distress can compel us to let go. 

The High Priest Described. 

Every high priest is (1) taken from among 
men; (2) is appointed for men: (3) is appointed 
in things pertaining to God — viz., (4) to offer 
up gifts and sacrifices for sin. (5) He must be 
able to bear gently with the ignorant and err- 
ing, being himself also compassed about with 
infirmity, and (6) is, therefore, bound to make 
offering for sins for himself as well as for the 
people. Lastly, (7) he must be called of God to 



68 Lessons on Hebrews. 



perform this function of honor. Now see how 
Christ fulfills these items. On (1) see Heb. 2: 

14, 16, 17; (2) is the whole secret of his work; 
(3) John 14: 6 — he has entire charge of all the 
things pertaining to God— the way of approach, 
reconciliation, salvation, etc.; (4) is also obvi- 
ous; (5) is emphasized in Heb. 2: 17, 18 and 4: 

15. It is a very important qualification. He 
speaks of it repeatedly, so as to impress us. If 
we should leave that out of view, we would 
dread him instead of trust him. But he is able 
to sympathize; and not only that — he is also 
able to succor (2: 18) and to save to the utter- 
most them that draw nigh unto God through 
him (7: 25). But in item (6), can that apply to 
Jesus? He never sinned, so he could have of- 
fered no sacrifice for his own sins. However, 
he made an offering for himself (not a sin offer- 
ing), being compelled by the weakness of his 
human nature to depend on that offering for his 
success and victory. It is the offering men- 
tioned in verse 7 of this chapter. What offer- 
ing, on the other hand, did he bring for the sins 
of the world? Item (7) is explained in verses 
5 and 6. Noteworthy is the fact that God con- 
siders the office of the high priest an honor; and 
he "glorified" Christ in appointing him to in- 
tercede and mediate for sinful, suffering men. 
It is in such work of mercy and love that Christ 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



69 



finds his glory, for the Son of man came to seek 
and save that which was lost. 

A Reminiscence of Gethsemane. 

If verses 7 and 8 have any special reference 
to a special time in Christ's suffering, prayer, 
and obedience, they point to the scene in Geth- 
semane. It was there that the divine nature 
fought its crowning battle against the lower 
nature, and the will of God triumphed in Jesus 
over the will of the flesh. There even Jesus, 
Son of God as he was, learned what obedience 
means. It was to be the consummation of his 
earthly struggle, and the Power of Darkness 
gathered itself together for one more final and 
terrible assault. In that last test his own hu- 
man will was completely mortified, and obedi- 
ence was perfected in surrender of all. 

Some Questions. 

In what sense was Jesus made perfect? (See 
on that Heb. 2: 10 and Phil. 2: 8, 9.) When did 
he become the Author of eternal salvation — 
before or after his perfecting? (Heb. 5: 9.) 
To whom did he become the Author of eternal 
salvation? Who proclaimed to the world the 
commandments of the exalted Savior? (Com- 
pare Heb. 2: 3, 4 with Mark 16: 15, 16, 19, 20.) 



70 Lessons on Hebrews. 



Father in heaven, who gavest thy Son to be 
for us an example, a Savior, and a High Priest, 
we pray that by his straggles and victory, by 
his sacrifice and intercession, thou mayest de- 
liver us from the power of evil. When Jesus 
entered into the garden, he had in his mind a 
wish which was opposed to the will of his Fa- 
ther, and he asked to be allowed to refuse that 
cup which the Father's providence had pre- 
pared for him that he should drink it. We 
thank thee that this is true. We know now that 
Jesus experienced all the weakness of the flesh 
and can sympathize with us. We thank thee 
yet more that Jesus, in intense agony of suppli- 
cation, submitted his will to thine and came 
forth in victory, without even the shadow of 
disobedience or rebellion resting on his pure 
soul. And the greatest praise and loving grat- 
itude we render unto thee, for that his victory 
was for us, and we can have a share in it. Yea, 
we can now do all things through Christ that 
strengthened us. Father, we have set out to 
obey him, that to us also he may become the 
Author of eternal salvation. Grant us, through 
his all-efficient high-priesthood, the grace for 
every time of need. In Jesus ' name. Amen. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



71 



Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson includes Heb. 5: 11 to 6: 20. 
What was the condition of the Hebrew Chris- 
tians as indicated here (verses 11-14) ? Is there 
any danger of stopping at first principles now? 
How high should a Christian aim? What kind 
of items does he enumerate here under the head 
of 6 ' first principles f " Is it possible for a Chris- 
tian to fall away? Why these solemn warn- 
ings (6: 4-8) ? Why the gentle encouragement 
(9, 10)? How can we inherit the promises? 
On what sort of foundation does our hope rest? 
What has the promise to Abraham to do with 
us? Why is hope called the "anchor of the 
soul?" 



72 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



LESSON X. — HEB. 5: 11 TO 6: 20. 

11 Of wham we have many things to say, and hard of in- 
terpretation, seeing ye are become dull of hearing. 12 For 
when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have 
need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the 
first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such 
as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every 
one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the 
word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14 But solid food 
is for full-grown men, even those who by reason of use have 
their senses exercised to discern good and evil. 

1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles 
of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again 
a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith 
toward God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying 
cm of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal 
judgment. 3 And this will we do, if God permit. 4 For as 
touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of 
the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy 
Spirit, 5 and tasted the good word of God, and the powers 
of the age to come, 6 and then fell away, it is impossible 
to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify 
to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an 
open shame. 7 For the land which hath drunk the rain 
that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for 
them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing 
from God: 8 but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is re- 
jected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned. 

9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, 
and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak: 
10 for God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the 
love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye minis- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



73 



tered unto the saints, and still do minister. 11 And we 
desire that each one of you may show the same diligence 
unto the fulness of hope even to the end: 12 that ye he not 
sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and pa- 
tience inherit the promises. 

13 For when God made promise to Abraham, since he 
could swear by none greater, he sware by himself, 14 say- 
ing, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I 
will multiply thee. 15 And thus, having patiently endured, 
he obtained the promise. 16 For men swear by the greater: 
and in every dispute of theirs the oath is final for con- 
firmation. 17 Wherein God, being minded to show more 
abundantly unto the heirs of the promise the immutability 
of his counsel, interposed with an oath; 18 that by two im- 
mutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, 
we may have a strong encouragement, who have fled for 
refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us: 19 which we 
have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and sted- 
fast and entering into that which is within the veil; 20 
whither as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having be- 
come a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. 

Growth Reversed. 

There is a revelation of the Hebrew Chris- 
tians' spiritual condition in the next few verses, 
all the more noteworthy because it is strictly 
just and true, coming, as it does, not from the 
biased judgment of man, but from the all-know- 
ing God. What would God say of us? 

These Christians had ceased to grow — a fatal 
fact in itself. They had retrograded, which 
is unavoidably consequent upon cessation of 
growth. Once their ears were wide open, sensi- 



74 Lessons on Hebrews. 



tive to the word of God; now they had "be- 
come" dull of hearing. It is expected of every 
Christian that, after a certain time has elapsed, 
he should be able to teach the religion of 
Christ — if not publicly, at least privately; if not 
in words to any great extent, at least in life and 
work. These Christians had come to the place 
where they themselves needed being taught 
again, and that in regard to the simplest ele- 
ments of Christ and in the simplest fashion. 
(Compare 1 Cor. 3: 1-3.) He must feed them 
delicately on milk, as one would babes or those 
who have weak stomachs. Their minds are such 
th&t they cannot bear deeper truths, greater 
spii itual light — a state that was lamentable and 
culpible in them specially because they had 
"beo *>me" such. 

Th^re are degrees in spiritual understanding 
and vision. It is not a matter of superior intel- 
ligence, but of faithful spiritual life. Two per- 
sons may look at the same passage of scrip- 
ture — the one with about as much comprehen- 
sion and appreciation as that with which a cow 
views a landscape; while the other sees it as an 
artist sees the scene, in enthusiastic admiration. 
As we progress in the Christian life, the word 
of Grod grows more beautiful and wonderfully 
sweet. It widens out on every side, and the 
depth of its riches becomes unfathomable. The 



Lessors ox Hebrews. 



75 



privilege of seeing thus is to the humble, the 
poor in spirit, to them that walk in the fear of 
the Lord (Ps. 25: 14), which is synonymous 
with the expression used in verse 14: ' 6 Those 
who by reason of use have their senses exercised 
to discern good and evil." 

An Exhortation to Go Forward. 

If this falls into the hands of a Christian who 
is satisfied with a nominal Christianity and as- 
pires only to escape hell (the name of those who 
rest themselves on a merely "tolerable" Chris- 
tian life, willing to sin along as far as consist- 
ent with a "fair standing" and anxious to do no 
more than enough to avoid hell, is "legion"), 
1 would urge upon him a careful reading of 
Heb. 6: 1-8. Again, to those who live and move 
and have their being in "first principles," who 
are forever laying the foundation of "the steps 
that induct an alien sinner into the kingdom" 
and never build thereon, whose religion con- 
sists mainly in a few original or secondhand 
arguments wherewith to oppose and confound 
the "sects," these words of warning are spe- 
cially to be commended. How easy it is to stop 
at the door, instead of following on where faith, 
hope, and love make more and more demands 
on our time, strength, and possessions! But 
our Leader says: "Press on to perfection." We 



76 Lessons on Hebrews. 



must not leave him in the way and slink back. 
Bemember Lot's wife. "On to perfection" is 
our password. And for whom are the awful 
warnings (in verses 4-8) but for those who, hav- 
ing received the blessings of Christ's kingdom, 
abandoned their Leader and failed to bring 
forth the fruit which was the chief object in the 
Husbandman's mind? 

Leaving the First Principles. 

How "leave" them? Drop them altogether? 
He cannot mean that. But leave them as the 
builder leaves the foundation — rising from it, 
yet ever resting on it; as a student leaves his 
alphabet and his spelling book and his multi- 
plication table — leaving it behind, yet carry- 
ing it with him and using it continually in 
higher studies. See how often the apostles 
wove a consideration of the first principles into 
the highest Christian instruction. (Bom. 6 et 
al.) But if we stay forever on simply " first 
principles," we are failures. The root is very 
good and essential; but if stalk and blade and 
ear do not shoot up from it, what matters it 
whether there is any root? 

What kind of items are these he mentions 
under the head of " first principles?" They 
were the points of Jewish-Christian impor- 
tance — points of difference or special discus- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



77 



sion which (like, for instance, baptism among 
us) by controversy were brought into special 
prominence. The "baptisms " mentioned are 
Jewish washings — not exactly the same Greek 
word that is used in reference to John's or 
Christ's baptism. The "laying on of hands" 
may be that spoken of in Acts 8: 18. It is not 
good to harp too much on any one thing, lest 
we make a hobby of it and get a distorted view 
of God's word. It is sometimes necessary to 
emphasize a disputed truth more especially or 
bring an overlooked truth to people's attention. 
But it is easy to overdo this thing. We are all, 
or mostly, born extremists, anyway. And there 
is the danger that in dwelling too exclusively 
on one point we lose sight of the weight of other 
things, and even distort our specialty to such 
an extent that, like these Hebrews, while doting 
on and saying so much on "first principles," 
we come into need of being ourselves instructed 
again in "the rudiments of the first principles 
of the oracles of God." Then the pride of in- 
tellect, the vaunting of wit and logic, the Phari- 
saical self-righteousness and censoriousness, 
and the often bitter, boastful, unkind, overbear- 
ing way of presenting one's teaching; ungodly 
disputes and wars of words, tilts in which the 
great point is to unhorse the opponent and gain 
the applause of people and court; self-compla- 



78 Lessons on Hebrews. 



eency and living on a few dry husks of argu- 
ment, when we should feed on the living gospel; 
prejudice, jealousy, anger, clamor, wrath, re- 
vilings, even lying and various dishonesties — 
all these evils are liable to come in the train of 
the stunted "first-principle" religion of which 
we are here warned. 

Gentle Encouragement. 

He has just presented a terrible possibility. 
(Verses 4-8.) The gloomy dispositions may be 
ready to give up all hope. But it is not discour- 
agement that the Lord wants. "All discour- 
agement is from the devil," some one said. 
"It's of no use" is Satan's stock phrase, which 
he whispers at some time into the ear of every 
struggling soul. God, throughout this letter 
and all the Book, assures us there is use. So, 
to counteract unnecessary dejection, the writer 
gently revives their hope. (Verses 9, 10; com- 
pare 1 Cor. 15: 58; 2 Tim. 1: 16-18.) The old 
keynote, "Do not give up," rings out again in 
verses 11, 12. Ponder the words "faith and pa- 
tience" and "diligence unto the fullness of 
hope." Tribulation, steadfastness, approved- 
ness, hope — this is the scale in another place. 
(Rom. 5.) Our acceptance is from the first freely 
granted to us of God, but it is by patient going 
forward to perfection that our hope is assured 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



79 



and confirmed to us. Thus we climb upon the 
mountains of Beulah and see afar off, with in- 
creasing clearness, the City and the Father's 
house. 

The Foundation of Our Hope. 

The Christian's hope distinguishes itself 
above any other in that it is unfailingly cer- 
tain — "a hope that maketh not ashamed." 
Every other enterprise rests upon a guess. 
Success is a gamble. After you have worked 
for it and spent your best on it, it may yet elude 
your grasp; for the race is not always to the 
swift nor the battle to the strong, for time and 
chance happen to them all. Let moralists and 
lecturers say what they will, there is an unmis- 
takable element of " luck" in every earthly 
project. Not so with the Christian's hope. It 
rests upon the two immutable foundation 
stones — God's promise and God's oath, in 
which it is impossible for God to lie. As long 
as you go forward with Jesus, you are surely 
approaching it; you need count on no failure. 
You lose it only when you choose to quit seek- 
ing after it and when you cease to follow your 
Leader. As long as you keep on climbing, you 
will continue to go up. Faith and patience at- 
tain to that hope. 

Note how he applies the promise to Abra- 



80 



Lessors ox Hebrews. 



ham as though it were our promise. The "we" 
in verse 18 (compare Gal. 3: 7, 9, 29) shows that 
in its spiritual meaning the promise applies to 
Christians. 

What is an anchor? What is it for? What 
does it hold to? Can the sailor see that on 
which the anchor lays hold ? Why is our hope 
called an "anchor of the soul?" Where does it 
lay hold f Can we see the realities on which it 
fastens itself? Why not? It "entereth into 
that which is within the veil. ' ' 

£ & £ 

Our Father, we know thy promises are sure 
and steadfast and our hope is secure. But our 
zeal flags, our energy fails, our faith grows 
weak and our assurance faint. We need thee 
every hour. We believe that thou art able to 
keep that which we have committed unto thee; 
yet protect thou us from our own selves, lest we 
abandon the attitude of faith and patience and 
drift back when we should go forward. Work 
thou in us both to will and to do of thy good 
pleasure. May thy solemn warnings and tender 
admonitions and encouragements, thy exceed- 
ing great and precious promises and the knowl- 
edge of thy perfect faithfulness, inspire us to 
patient perseverance in the way and the aim to 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



81 



attain to Christian perfection, that every one of 
us who has this hope set on him may by thy 
grace purify himself, even as Christ is pure. 
Amen. 

£ * £ 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

Kemember, these are the things "hard of in- 
terpretation" mentioned in chapter 5: 11. 
Make a list of all the statements concerning 
Melchizedek; then compare and see if the de- 
scription fits any being known to you. 
6 



82 



Lessons on Hebeews. 



LESSON XI.— HEB. 7. 

I For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most 
High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of 
the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham divided 
a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, King of 
righteousness, and then also King of Salem, which is, King 
of peace; 3 without father, without mother, without gen- 
ealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, 
but made like unto the Son of God), abideth a priest con- 
tinually. 

4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom Abra- 
ham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the chief spoils. 
5 And they indeed of the sons of Levi that receive the 
priest's office have commandment to take tithes of the peo- 
ple according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though 
these have come out of the loins of Abraham: 6 but he 
whose genealogy is not counted from them hath taken tithes 
of Abraham, and hath blessed him that hath the promises. 

7 But without any dispute the less is blessed of the better. 

8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there one, of 
whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9 And, so to say, 
through Abraham even Levi, who receiveth tithes, hath paid 
tithes; 10 for he was yet in the loins of his father, when 
Melchizedek met him. 

II Now if there was perfection through the Levitical 
priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), 
what further need tvas there that another priest should 
arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned 
after the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being 
changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the 
law. 13 For he of whom these things are said belongeth to 
another tribe, from which no man hath given attendance 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



83 



at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord hath sprung 
out of Judah; as to which tribe Moses spake nothing con- 
cerning priests. 15 And what we say is yet more abun- 
dantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there 
ariseth another priest, 16 who hath been made, not after the 
law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an 
endless life: 17 for it is witnessed of him, 

Thou art a priest for ever 

After the order of Melchizedek. 
18 For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment 
because of its weakness and unprofitableness 19 (for the 
law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of 
a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God. 20 
And inasmuch as it is not without the taking of an oath 21 
(for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; 
but he with an oath by him that saith of him, 

The Lord sware and will not repent himself, 

Thou art a priest for ever) ; 
22 by so much also hath Jesus become the surety of a bet- 
ter covenant. 23 And they indeed have been made priests 
many in number, because that by death they are hindered 
from continuing: 24 but he, because he abideth for ever, 
hath his priesthood unchangeable. 25 Wherefore also he 
is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto 
God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession 
for them. 

26 For such a high priest became us, holy, guileless, un- 
defined, separated from sinners, and made higher than the 
heavens; 27 who needeth not daily, like those high priests, 
to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for 
the sins of the people: for this he did once for all, when 
he offered up himself. 28 For the law appointeth men high 
priests, having infirmity; but the word of the oath, which 
was after the law, appointeth a Son, perfected for evermore. 



84 Lessons on Hebrews. 



Melchizedek. 

With the mention of this name begins the dis- 
cussion of a deep and wonderful subject: 
"Christ's High-Priesthood — Its Nature and 
Power. ' ' He leads up to it in the fifth chapter. 
In 5: 10 the Lord's penman is ready to open the 
great theme; and then, it seems, he staggers at 
the thought of presenting such a deep, spiritual 
truth to such unspiritually-minded hearers. 
They are too dull, spiritually, to understand. 
They are sure to misunderstand unless he pre- 
pares their minds as best possible. So he leaves 
the subect at 5 : 10, and rebukes and warns and 
exhorts. If you should drop out the whole text 
from 5: 11 to 6: 20, it would not affect the ar- 
gument in the least. He begins at 7: 1 just 
where he had left off at 5 : 10. 

Let us also prepare our minds. Let us re- 
member that this is meat, not milk. We are 
entering on yet holier ground. Let us draw 
near in faith and in reverence. Let us look for 
God's mind in this teaching, and leave idle, cu- 
rious speculation to those babes who know not 
with what they are dealing. 

Statements Concerning Melchizedek. 

All we know about Melchizedek is recorded 
in three passages. The first, in Gen. 14: 18-20, 
where he mysteriously steps upon the scene, is 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



85 



introduced as priest of God Most High, blesses 
Abram, and receives from him a tithe — a tenth 
of all Abram possessed, which latter was an ac- 
knowledgment on Abram 's part of all Melchiz- 
edek 's claims. Jnst as suddenly and mysteri- 
ously as he appears, he vanishes. Not a trace, 
not another mention in the course of that his- 
tory. A thousand years roll by. Then for one 
moment that name appears again in a great 
Messianic psalm, where David in the Holy 
Spirit recorded God's oath to the Messiah: "Je- 
hovah hath sworn and will not repent : thou art 
a priest forever after the order of Melchize- 
dek." (Ps. 110: 4.) Another thousand years 
of silence. Then the Holy Spirit speaks once 
more of Melchizedek — this time in reference to 
the Messiah already come, who even now is 
"the author of eternal salvation, named of God 
an high priest forever after the order of Mel- 
chizedek." Here he gives us the fullest ac- 
count of that mysterious person. Let us note 
the items one by one: (1) Melchizedek — King 
of righteousness; (2) King of Salem — King of 
peace; (3) without father; (4) without mother; 
(5) without genealogy; (6) having no begin- 
ning of days; (7) having no end of life; (8) 
made like unto the Son of God; (9) abideth a 
priest continually. Now, who is that? There 
are many useless theories and speculations 



86 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



in regard to that. God never ministered to 
the idle curiosity of man. There is one point 
in all this which we need to know, and that 
point is that Melchizedek's order of priesthood 
was greater than the Aaronic, not being limited 
by time nor by other circumstances; a priest- 
hood not based npon the law of a carnal com- 
mandment, but after the power of an endless 
life. Such is Christ's priesthood — never-chang- 
ing, never-ending. " Wherefore also he is able 
to save to the uttermost them that draw near 
unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to 
make intercession for them." 

Look over the nine items above which de- 
scribe Melchizedek. Take any of the theories 
extant and apply them to this pattern ; they will 
not fit. The fact is, nobody knows who Mel- 
chizedek was or is. One man says: "The si- 
lence of Scripture as to his genealogy and birth 
and death is interpreted as proof of how differ- 
ent his priesthood is from that of Aaron and 
the priests in Israel, where descent was every- 
thing." But, plausible as that sounds, the 
Scriptures say he had no beginning of days nor 
end of life; and not only is his death not men- 
tioned, but it says he did not die. Note the 
ninth item. It is in the present tense. Note 
also verse 8: "He liveth." To say he had no 
father or mother or genealogy in the priest- 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



87 



hood explains some things, but not everything. 
The nine items describe, to all appearance, a 
being supernatural, greater than man. Is it an 
angel ? That also would fall short. Is it 
Christ? The description fits him more than any 
one else. But even there are obstacles. We 
simply do not know, and cannot know, and need 
not know. Let us content ourselves with the 
revelation of Christ's great and exalted priest- 
hood, presented under the figure of Melchiz- 
edek. 

Christ's Priesthood. 

"Now consider how great this one was." 
(The word "man" used in the American Re- 
vised Version is not in the Greek, only as im- 
plied in the masculine form of the demonstra- 
tive pronoun.) Greater than Abraham, for 
Abraham received a blessing from him; greater 
than Levi and the Levites (therefore greater 
than Aaronic priests), because they, although 
exalted to stand nearer to God than all the 
other tribes of Israel, and though they received 
the tithes, the religious offerings of God's peo- 
ple, themselves paid tithes to Melchizedek. 
How! In the person of Abraham, from whom 
they sprang. (Verses 4-10.) 

As Melchizedek, therefore, was higher than 
Aaron, so was his order of priesthood — the or- 



88 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



der of Christ's priesthood — greater than that 
of Aaron. 

The Change of Law. 

Now the old law depended for its worship, 
sacrifices, service of God, and ministrations in 
general, upon the Levitical priesthood. It also 
provided for the selection, succession, ordina- 
tion, consecration, of these Levitical priests, 
and only Levitical priests. It is evident, there- 
fore, that another order of priesthood must be 
based upon another law, and must bring with 
it another law and another order of things — in 
fact, another covenant — a covenant by so much 
better as the new priesthood is greater than the 
old. See the comparisons of the two priest- 
hoods in verses 11, 15, 16, 20, 21, 23, 24. So this 
new priest is one, immortal, unchangeable, 
higher than the heavens — a Son perfected for 
evermore. (Heb. 5: 5, 6, 9, 10.) 

All priests were given to mediate between 
man and God and bring man to God. Jesus, our 
High Priest, is on the throne, in the sanctuary 
of the highest heaven, for this very purpose. 
He is not a vain figure — one who, having com- 
pleted a "system," or "scheme," or "plan" of 
redemption, sits back and lets men follow it as 
best they can — but a living Helper, Savior, Me- 
diator, Intercessor, from whom flows continual 
sustenance to each human soul that draws near 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



89 



unto God through him; for he is the Head, we 
are the members of his body; he is the Vine, we 
are the branches. Apart from him we can do 
nothing. 

* * 

Our Father in heaven, we thank thee for the 
better hope by which we may draw near unto 
thee, and the perfect High Priest who brings 
us unto God and whose continual intercession 
sustains and cleanses us and keeps us clean. 
We look unto thee, Father; we come unto 
thee through thy holy and merciful Son, our 
Lord and our Mediator. Grant us deliverance 
from all our adversaries. Make us strong to 
conquer. Keep us by thy power according to 
thy exceeding great and precious promises, that 
nothing may separate us from thy love. And 
when by Jesus' sacrifice and intercession we 
shall have received the final redemption, we 
will glorify and praise thy love and wisdom 
evermore, through Jesus our Lord and Savior. 
Amen. 

* £ * 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson is chapter 8. What is the 
main point of the teaching of chapter 7 ? What 
does he say in chapter 8 concerning the service 



90 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



of the old law and its tabernacle'? Why was 
a second covenant needed? Did God ever make 
a faulty or imperfect covenant? Memorize 
verses 10-12. What excellencies of the new 
covenant are here enumerated? What cove- 
nant is that mentioned in verse 9 ? Who broke 
it? Did the old order cease suddenly or gradu- 
ally? (Verse 13.) 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



91 



LESSON XII.— HEB. 8. 

1 Now in the things which we are saying the chief point 
is this: We have such a high priest, who sat down on the 
right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, 2 
a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, 
which the Lord pitched, not man. 3 For every high priest 
is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it 
is necessary that this high priest also have somewhat to 
offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest 
at all, seeing there are those who offer the gifts according 
to the law; 5 who serve that which is a copy and shadow 
of the heavenly things, even as Moses is warned of God 
when he is about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, 
that thou make all things according to the pattern that was 
showed thee in the mount. 6 But now hath he obtained a 
ministry the more excellent, by so much as he is also the 
mediator of a better covenant, which hath been enacted 
upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been 
faultless, then would no place have been sought for a sec- 
ond. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, 

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, 

That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel 
and with the house of Judah; 
9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their 
fathers 

In the day that I took them by the hand to lead them 

forth out of the land of Egypt; 
For they continued not in my covenant, 
And I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house 

of Israel 
After those days, saith the Lord; 



92 Lessons on Hebrews. 



I will put my laws into their mind, 
And on their heart also will I write them: 
And I will be to them a God, 
And they shall be to me a people: 

11 And they shall not teach every man his fellow-citizen, 
And every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: 
For all shall know me, 

From the least to the greatest of them. 

12 For I will be merciful to their iniquities, 
And their sins will I remember no more. 

13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the 
first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged 
is nigh unto vanishing away. 

Our High Priest and His Ministry. 

We have repeatedly observed that the chief 
intent of the letter to the Hebrews is to turn the 
eyes of the persons addressed to Jesus. "Con- 
sider the Apostle and High Priest of our con- 
fession." (Heb. 3: 1.) "Looking unto Jesus." 
(Heb. 12: 2.) "Consider him." (Heb. 12: 3.) 
Jesus is held up to them from the first to the 
last. It was by this means that these weak, 
fainting, wavering ones should be made strong 
and faithful and hopeful. It is notable, too, 
that Jesus is not held up so much in the capac- 
ity of a teacher or an example here. That is 
done elsewhere with more emphasis. But what 
these Hebrews, and all of us who are in like 
condition, now especially need is to look on Je- 
sus in his glory, his power, his heavenly min- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



93 



istry — Jesus the High Priest, Jesus the King. 
And why? It is the assurance of our hope. As 
Jesus is mighty, so shall we be more than con- 
querors through him. As he is faithful and ef- 
ficient as our High Priest, so may we trust in 
the power of his intercession, the success of his 
work in bringing us to God, the help and sus- 
tenance that comes through him every moment. 
This is the faith that enables us to stand. Let 
us look unto Jesus. "We have considered our- 
selves long enough. We have seen our inability 
and the power of our adversaries; have dwelt 
upon it; have sought in ourselves for the 
strength to overcome; and have tried to lift 
ourselves up, and have met only failure and 
gained only discouragement. Now look to your 
Priest all-merciful, your King all-powerful. 

Who in the strength of Jesus trusts 
Is more than conqueror. 

Here and there in the Old Testament is a 
prophecy of the Priest that shall be King, the 
King that shall be Priest — predictions that 
were not fulfilled under the old order of things. 
We see here the great Priest's sanctuary, which 
is also his throne. (Jer. 17: 12; compare Heb. 
8: 1, 2.) We read there of Israel's deliverance 
through a Prince, a Euler that should proceed 
from the midst of them, and whom God would 



94 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



cause to draw near and approach to him — 
which latter was the priest's special function 
and prerogative. (Jer. 30: 21.) Bead it all in 
plain, clear words in Zech. 6: 12, 13 — how the 
roan whose name is the Branch shall sit and rule 
upon his throne and shall be a priest upon his 
throne; yea, and a mediator between God and 
the people, for "the counsel of peace shall be 
between them both." 

The True Tabernacle. 

That earthly tabernacle in which Aaron and 
his successors ministered was not the true 
"tent of meeting" nor the real sanctuary of 
God. It was but a copy and a shadow of the 
real tabernacle, the heavenly thing which was 
shown to Moses, and after which the earthly 
tabernacle was copied and patterned. So was 
all the old covenant service only shadow and 
type of heavenly reality. But Jesus ministers, 
not on earth, but in heaven, in the holy of ho- 
lies, where God himself is. As God met with 
the people (through their representative, the 
high priest), typically, in the earthly taberna- 
cle to bless them (Ex. 20: 24), so God meets 
with his people now, in real fact, through their 
Representative and Mediator, Jesus Christ the 
High Priest, and they receive continually the 
blessing of this unceasing ministry. It is a bet- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



95 



tor sanctuary, a better ministry, a greater 
Priest, a greater blessing, and we are under a 
better covenant, enacted upon better promises. 

The Two Covenants. 

So the first covenant was inferior and faulty. 
Here let us gather some contrasts. The old 
covenant is called "the letter" which "kill- 
eth;" the new, "the spirit" which "giveth 
life." The old is "the ministration of death, 
written and engraven on stones;" the new, 
"the ministration of the spirit." The old, 
again, "the ministration of condemnation;" 
the new, "the ministration of righteousness." 
(2 Cor. 3.) What great fundamental difference 
lies between the two? The old came from God; 
so did the new. The old was God's word, just 
as the new. The old required obedience; no 
less does the new. The old had its punishment 
for disobedience; so has the new. The old had 
its promises for the obedient; the new likewise. 
The old, as well as the new T , required a faith in 
God. And yet they are as widely separated as 
the east is from the west. A correct under- 
standing of this will be of incalculable benefit 
to most of us, for it is a general mistake among 
us to overlook the distinction and to attempt to 
live the new covenant on the plane and princi- 
ple of the old. 



96 Lessons on Hebrews. 



The fault of the old covenant lay, in the first 
place, with men. "The law is holy, and the 
commandment holy, and righteous, and good" 
(Rom. 7: 12); but it was weak — not in itself, 
but through the flesh (Rom. 8: 4). "The law 
is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." 
(Rom. 7: 14.) There is the weak place, and 
that is the ground God announces for removing 
that old covenant: "For they continued not in 
my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith 
the Lord. ' ' They simply proved their inability 
to keep that law. 

But did not God know that at the time he 
gave the law? God had an ulterior purpose. 
The law became the revealer of man's sinful- 
ness and weakness, thus preparing him for the 
free gift (through faith in Jesus Christ) of that 
righteousness which was unattainable to them 
through their own works and strength. It was 
the schoolmaster to bring men to Christ. (Gal. 
3: 19, 22-24.) 

Now it is the chief point of the new covenant 
to obviate the fault of the old, so that there 
should nevermore be any need to say of men 
that, on account of their weakness, "they con- 
tinued not in my covenant." The poorest and 
weakest of men shall now stand: "Yea, he shall 
be holden up; for God is able to make him 
stand." But do you say that such is not the 



Lessons on Hebrews. 97 

case? Many have failed, no doubt; but the rea- 
son of that is that men fail to learn and walk 
in the principle of the new covenant. "The 
law," writes Paul, "is not of faith; but, He 
that doeth them shall live in them." (Gal. 3: 
12.) That is the principle of the old law, and, 
as the apostle points out, it is not of faith. But 
how often is it attempted to bind the command- 
ments of the new covenant on men on that very 
principle! How often have I attempted to walk 
in the precepts of the Lord after the Old Testa- 
ment fashion! But to make it clearer, the law 
says, "Do this, and thou shalt live;" the gos- 
pel, "Live, and thou shalt do this." The law, 
' 6 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God ; ' ' the gos- 
pel, "We love because he first loved us." Un- 
der the old law they served as slaves ; under the 
new they are first made sons, that they might 
serve from the heart as children. The old law 
says, "If you follow these precepts, there is a 
hope for you;" the gospel, "Every one who 
hath this hope set on him purifieth himself, 
even as he is pure." The old law would say, 
"Work out your own salvation with fear and 
trembling," and stop there; the new adds, "For 
it is God who worketh in you both to will and 
to do of his good pleasure." The gospel says: 
"Faith first, hope first, love first, then the works 
that flow from them; adoption first, then the 
7 



98 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



willing service; life first, divine life, then the 
manifestation of it in our conduct. ' ' Moreover, 
the man under the sway of the old covenant 
served because of, and according to, a law writ- 
ten on stone — an outside law; but to him who 
has caught the meaning of the gospel, God's will 
is written in the heart. Not that he needs no 
more instruction, but like the mother takes care 
of her child — not because the law statutes of 
our government demand it, but because she de- 
lights in it and is happy in doing her duty, 
and much more, toward her beloved child. So 
has God designed we should serve him accord- 
ing to a law written neither on stone nor paper, 
but on our hearts. "I delight to do thy will, 
my God : yea, thy law is within my heart. ' ' 

In addition to this, we have the assurance 
that God "will not suffer you to be tempted 
above that ye are able, but will with every 
temptation make a way of escape;" that the 
power and might of God is available to us in 
our battles against evil (Eph. 6: 10), and that 
the grace of God shall manifest itself in us the 
more in proportion to our weakness (2 Cor. 12: 
9); that we shall be strengthened with might 
by his Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3: 16); 
and, finally, that we shall be able to do all 
things through Christ who strengthened us 
(Phil. 4: 13). These things are given us that 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



99 



we may not sin; and yet if any one does even 
then fall into sin, repentance is offered him 
(Rev. 3: 19, 20), and cleansing from sin (1 John 
1:9), and the assurance that we have an Ad- 
vocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the right- 
eons. But the glory of Christ's high-priestly 
intercession is not, as some suppose, in the read- 
iness with which we obtain forgiveness of our 
sins, but rather in the power by which he keeps 
us from sin, that we may be children of God 
without blemish in the midst of a crooked and 
perverse generation, among whom we shine as 
lights in the world. 

Three Characteristics. 

It was here, of all places, that God saw fit to 
draw the contrast between the covenants of 
grace and of works, and this has already occu- 
pied much space. Now for a brief notice of the 
three characteristics of the new covenant here 
enumerated. Verse 10 presents one; verse 11, 
one; verse 12, one. The last (verse 12) is the 
first, the basis of the other two — a complete, 
full, free forgiveness of sins. Such a thing was 
not under the old covenant, but there remem- 
brance was made of sins every year. 

In regard to verse 11, some have taught that 
it referred to a state of affairs yet future. That 
it may have a more complete fulfillment at some 



100 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



future time, no one would deny. But here it is 
applied to the present dispensation. And how 
is it true now? First, under the old covenant, 
having been born into it, many grew up in ig- 
norance of their God and were in covenant re- 
lationship with him before they knew him at all. 
This is impossible under the new covenant, 
where the first steps leading into it are "hear," 
"learn," "believe," "obey." Second, it was 
not every man that had direct dealings with 
God then, but the priests only, who drew near 
on behalf of the people. So, of necessity, the 
acquaintance of the people with God was at sec- 
ond hand. Now they are all priests, and all 
draw near through Jesus Christ. (Heb. 7: 25.) 
Verse 10 is already illustrated above. 

The old covenant virtually closed at the death 
of Jesus (Col. 2: 14) ; but the old worship and 
service was continued, even by Jewish Chris- 
tians, neither God nor inspired men opposing 
(Acts 21: 20-26). But, as our lesson shows, it 
was dying away, at least in respect to the J ew- 
ish Christians; while the Jews' temple service 
came to a sudden end at the destruction of Jeru- 
salem. 

* * £ 

We could have no greater hope or confidence, 
Heavenly Father, than in the blessed revelation 



Lessors on Hebrews. 101 



that Jesus, in the perfect sanctuary, ministers 
for us as our perfect High Priest to bring us 
unto God. As believers in him, and followers 
of him, and bearers of his name, we claim thy 
blessing and thy help. Our eyes are unto thee, 
God. In our weakness we look unto thee for 
uplifting and strength and hope. May thy Son 
be ever before our eyes, that we may consider 
him, our King, our Priest. Write thy law in our 
hearts, and work in us both to will and to do of 
thy good pleasure, and make us perfect in him 
according to the glorious promise of the new 
covenant ; and then, having no ground in our- 
selves to boast, we will glory in thee and give 
praises to thy name through all eternity, in Je- 
sus' name. Amen. 

4t & & 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson is Heb. 9 : 1-14. This is the 
chapter of the blood of Christ. Eecall all you 
know about the blood of Christ. Has it been 
mentioned hitherto in this Epistle? Subject of 
verses 1-10? Note verse 8 — what did the Holy 
Spirit have to do with the earthly tabernacle ? 
Bead ahead and see on what verses 11-22 treat. 



102 



Lessons on Hebkews. 



LESSON XIII.— HEB. 9: 1-14. 

I Now even the first covenant had ordinances of divine 
service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world. 2 For 
there was a tabernacle prepared, the first, wherein were 
the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread; which is 
called the Holy place. 3 And after the second veil, the 
tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies; 4 having a 
golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant over- 
laid round about with gold, wherein was a golden pot hold- 
ing the manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables 
of the covenant; 5 and above it cherubim of glory over- 
shadowing the mercy -seat; of which things we cannot now 
speak severally. 6 Now these things having been thus pre- 
pared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, 
accomplishing the services; 7 but into the second the high 
priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he 
offereth for himself, and for the errors of the people: 8 
the Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holy 
place hath not yet been made manifest while the first taber- 
nacle is yet standing; 9 which is a figure for the time pres- 
ent; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices 
that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper 
perfect, 10 being only (with meats and drinks and divers 
washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of refor- 
mation. 

II But Christ having come a high priest of the good things 
to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, 
not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, 
12 nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through 
his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, 
having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood 
of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



103 



them that have been denied, sanctify unto the cleanness of 
the flesh: 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who 
through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish 
unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to 
serve the living God? 

The tabernacle was not only a place of wor- 
ship, but it was a sermon, a revelation, and a 
prophecy. Like every other divinely inspired 
sermon, it came through the Holy Spirit, for the 
Spirit is the revealer of God's mysteries and 
plans. (1 Cor. 2: 11.) That it was an object 
sermon instead of a verbal sermon does not af- 
fect the matter at all. Only the ' 6 types," as 
those object sermons are called, were hard to 
read, and required the additional light of the 
antitype, the fulfillment, and further revela- 
tion to make them clear. So in the Xew Testa- 
ment the Holy Spirit sheds more light on the 
tent sermon he had preached long before 
through Moses, and tells us what he meant by 
it and its furnishings and its service. Verses 
1-10 give a brief account of the mysterious tent; 
Ex. 35 to 40, a more detailed description. It 
is not the writer's object here to show step for 
step the significance of every feature of the 
type; he is chiefly after one point — viz., that 
the veil separated between the first portion of 
the tent, the holy place, where the priests min- 
istered, and the second portion, the most holy, 



104 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



where God's presence was; and that, while that 
tabernacle pitched by man was yet standing, 
there was no way of entrance into God's pres- 
ence manifested. Christ came to tear that veil 
asunder, and, with a better sacrifice and serv- 
ice, not only to enter in himself once for ail into 
God's presence, but also to make his followers 
perfect and fit to enter and to bring them into 
the presence of God. 

How the Type Was Fulfilled. 

With verse 11 the spiritual significance of 
tabernacle and service begins. Here we have 
several contrasts and notable expressions. 
"The good things to come" are the realities of 
the new covenant, in contrast to the shadows 
and prophecies of the old. (Heb. 8: 5.) He 
calls them 6 6 good things to come, ' ' not so much 
because they were yet future, but by adapta- 
tion, from a Jewish point of view. The things 
that are now and will yet be ministered by 
Jesus are the realization of "the good things 
to come," of which the fathers had spoken and 
to which they had looked forward. The 
"greater and more perfect tabernacle" is con- 
tradistinguished from that which was "built 
with hands." Compare Heb. 9: 24 and Heb. 
8: 5. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



105 



Spiritual Meaning of the Tabernacle. 

The commonly received interpretation of the 
tabernacle structure is that the first portion, 
where the priests ministered, represents the 
church; and the most holy place behind the veil, 
where only the high priest could go once a year 
with the blood of atonement, represents heaven, 
the place of God's throne, and " Jesus our High 
Priest entered." Now, without disputing the 
truth and fitness of this interpretation (for 
types and prophecies often embody in them- 
selves various meanings and applications and 
have several fulfillments), we here meet with a 
different conception. Jesus, the High Priest, 
like his type, Aaron, the high priest, passes 
through the holy place, and, with blood, into 
the most holy; for the tabernacle (whether the 
earthly or its counterpart, the spiritual) had 
only one entrance: to go into the most holy, one 
must pass through the holy place. Now, what 
was the holy place "through" which Christ 
passed ? Not a thing made with hands, as verse 
11 shows; nor yet "the church," for there was 
no church established then. It becomes clear 
that, from that point of view, it must have been 
the old covenant, in which men served and wor- 
shiped God at a distance, a veil intervening; 
for Jesus lived under the old covenant and 



106 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



shared in its law and worship. Then the most 
holy place would naturally refer to the new 
covenant, in which men have a direct access to 
God's throne, through Jesus Christ, in whose 
person we have already entered and approached 
God's presence. Since Jesus removed the veil, 
the two tabernacles are thrown into one, and 
the worshipers of God have access through him 
into the holiest of all; for now the old taberna- 
cle stands no longer (verse 8); a way into the 
holiest has been made manifest; and we, here 
and now, consecrated by Christ's blood, have 
boldness to enter in (Heb. 10: 19), and are come 
"to God the Judge of all, . . . and to Je- 
sus the mediator of a new covenant" (Heb. 12: 
22-24). 

That in another sense, and by another appli- 
cation of the type, we are yet absent from God 
(2 Cor. 5: 6-8), and a veil of flesh is between 
him and us, need not affect this interpretation. 
They are both true, and only contemplate dif- 
ferent ideas of access to God. The term * 4 holy 
place" in verses 8, 12, 24, and 10: 19 evidently 
refers to the Most Holy. 

The Power of Christ's Blood. 

This is the chapter of the blood, which, here- 
tofore not named, is mentioned here twelve 
times. Through the whole Bible, from Abel's 



Lessons on Hebrews. 107 



sacrifice to the song of victory in the Apoca- 
lypse, rings that awful word — "blood!" What 
terrible thing is it that came between God and 
man, that man could not draw nigh to his 
Maker, even typically, without blood? What a 
conception of the justice and incorruptible right- 
eousness of God ! He loved men, he yearned for 
them, he called for them, he sent blessings to 
them, he was a Father to them, in much mercy 
and kindness he drew them; yet without blood 
they cannot come nigh. And what is blood? 
The forfeit of life, the price of sin. "For the 
life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given 
it to you upon the altar to make atonement for 
your souls : for it is the blood that maketh atone- 
ment by reason of the life." (Lev. 17: 11.) 
Sin cannot come near to God. The penalty of 
sin is death, and by death alone can it be paid; 
and blood, the lifeblood, is evidence of death. 
Such is the teaching concerning the blood. 
Without shedding of blood, there is no remis- 
sion. That the blood of goats and calves could 
not atone for sin is plain. If man has sinned, 
man's blood alone can atone. Those were shad- 
ows — pictures prophesying a real sacrifice and 
an efficient blood of atonement, which would 
give real access to God's presence. The mere 
justice of God would have ordered that each 
man must pay for his own sin with his own 



108 Lessons on Hebrews. 



blood; but in Grod's wisdom and mercy there 
came One who was spotless, who needed not to 
shed his blood for transgressions of his own, but 
who willingly poured it out for an atonement of 
the sins of men. And as Adam in his person 
affected the many by his disobedience unto sin 
and death, so, in God's wise counsel, the obe- 
dience and sacrifice of Christ was ordained for 
the atonement and salvation of many; for all 
men were in Adam when he sinned, and so be- 
came partakers of the results of his sins. In 
like manner shall those who are "in Christ" 
be sharers in the results of his obedience and 
death. 

The wonderful protecting power of Christ's 
blood was foreshown in the offering of the pass- 
over lamb, whose blood on the doorposts and 
lintels of a house preserved that house from the 
angel of death whose scourge fell upon all 
Egypt. (Ex. 12.) "Behold, the Lamb of God, 
that taketh away the sin of the world." His 
suffering for us was foretold (Isa. 53), and the 
shedding of his blood, in the words: "He poured 
out his soul unto death. ' ' 

Cleansed to Serve God. 

The cleansing received through the blood of 
animals was simply outward and ceremonial — 
appropriate, however, for a typical service. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 109 



But the blood of Him who through the eternal 
Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God 
reaches into the very heart and cleanses the 
conscience, so that henceforth, forsaking the 
service of dead typical works, the man may be 
fitted to render true, living service to the living 
God. There are no outward ordinances in the 
new covenant. Even baptism, so often misrep- 
resented and despised as "a mere outward 
thing," is not outward; but, like the blood of 
Christ, it has nothing to do with the external, 
ceremonial cleansing of the flesh, but affects the 
conscience. (1 Pet. 3: 21.) 

But here we must stop. This chapter will 
furnish matter for another study. Begin, then, 
at verse 15 and study to the end of the chapter. 
Consider the line that is drawn in verses 16, 17; 
the use of the blood in verses 18-22, and how 
that applies to the present dispensation; the 
work of Christ in heaven and his second com- 
ing, in verses 23-28. 

£ £ £ 

Our Father and our God! With more rever- 
ence and better understanding we draw nigh 
unto thee. Now we know that we have access 
into thy presence in the Spirit, having been 
cleansed by the blood of Jesus. What a won- 



110 Lessons on Hebrews. 



derful revelation of thy righteousness is given 
us through this blood! What a discovery of 
thy unsearchable wisdom and thy unfathomable 
love! More than ever we realize our unworthi- 
ness. We cannot stand alone. We fear and 
tremble. Without the blood of Jesus our sins 
would separate us from thee, the Fountain of 
all good and all joy and happiness, forever and 
ever. We pray thee, cleanse us by that blood 
from all our sin, draw us near unto thee in thy 
sanctuary, and keep us clean always through 
the power of Jesus' blood. In his name we pray 
it. Amen. 



Lessons on Hebrews. Ill 



LESSON XIV.— HEB. 9: 15-28. 

15 And for this cause he is the mediator of a new cove- 
nant, that a death having taken place for the redemption 
of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, 
they that have been called may receive the promise of the 
eternal inheritance. 16 For where a testament is, there 
must of necessity be the death of him that made it. 17 For 
a testament is of force where there hath been death: for 
it doth never avail while he that made it liveth. 18 Where- 
fore even the first covenant hath not been dedicated with- 
out blood. 19 For when every commandment had been 
spoken by Moses unto all the people according to the law, 
he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water 
and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book 
itself and all the people, 20 saying, This is the blood of the 
covenant which God commanded to you-ward. 21 Moreover 
the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry he 
sprinkled in like manner with the blood. 22 And accord- 
ing to the law, I may almost say, all things are cleansed 
with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no re- 
mission. 

23 It was necessary therefore that the copies of the things 
in the heavens should be cleansed with these; but the 
heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 
24 For Christ entered not into a holy place made with 
hands, like in pattern to the true; but into heaven itself, 
now to appear before the face of God for us: 25 nor yet 
that he should offer himself often, as the high priest enter- 
eth into the holy place year by year with blood not his 
own; 26 else must he often have suffered since the founda- 
tion of the world : but now once at the end of the ages hath 
he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of him- 



112 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



self. 27 And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once 
to die, and after this cometh judgment; 28 so Christ also, 
having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall 
appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for 
him, unto salvation. 

A Landmark. 

It is very important that the word of God be 
rightly divided. In Heb. 1: 1, 2 we had the first 
line of division which God drew: "God, hav- 
ing of old time spoken unto the fathers in the 
prophets, . . . hath at the end of these days 
spoken unto ns in his Son." This division is 
quite general — does not point out the exact be- 
ginning of Christ's covenant nor of his dis- 
tinctive message. Heb. 2: 3, 4 is more particu- 
lar. There we find that our great salvation was 
at the first spoken through the Lord, and 6 6 was 
confirmed unto us by them that heard" — that 
is, by the apostles. In Heb. 5: 8-10 it is seen 
that Jesus became to us "the author of eternal 
salvation" when he had been made "perfect 
through suffering," and "named of God a high 
priest after the order of Melchizedek. " The 
new covenant is mentioned in Heb. 8: 13. But 
the lesson before us gives us a clear landmark, 
and enables us to say with all certainty that the 
"testament" (or "covenant" — the Greek word 
has both these meanings) was not in force until 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



113 



after Christ's death. The cross of Christ stands 
between the two, being the guarantee of the 
new covenant and the virtual end of the old. 
(Heb. 10: 9; Col. 2: 14.) So, for instance, the 
point that is often made that the thief on the 
cross was saved without baptism, and that, 
therefore, baptism is a nonessential, has no 
weight, because that occurrence belongs to an- 
other dispensation, another order of things, 
having transpired before the death of Jesus. 
But his covenant, his will and testament, went 
into force after his death. Now he is the Au- 
thor of eternal salvation to all that obey him; 
and if in his new covenant baptism is at all re- 
quired, obedience to it is in order to salvation. 

Old Accounts Settled. 

But the old covenant could not be set aside 
without the satisfaction of its claims. For more 
than a thousand years an ever-increasing ac- 
count of sin had been rolled forward from year 
to year, from atonement day to atonement day. 
The blood of those animal sacrifices could not 
really atone for sin. Sin was remitted tempo- 
rarily, a year at a time. (Heb. 10: 3, 4.) None 
of it had been truly blotted out. All of the for- 
giveness accorded to men then depended for its 
efficacy upon the great atonement that was to 
come after — the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb 

8 



114 



Lessors ox Hebkews. 



"which taketli away the sin of the world." 

And none of the promises based (as all God's 
highest promises are) upon previous forgive- 
ness and cleansing were actually conferred upon 
the people of God then; for "these all, having 
had witness borne to them through their faith, 
received not the promise. God having provided 
some better thing concerning us. that apart 
from us they should not be made perfect.'* 
(Heb. 11: 39. 40.) But Christ came and settled 
all the past accounts, making atonement for all 
the transgressions which were under the first 
covenant by his death — that is. with his blood. 
Now was the way clear for a new covenant: now 
does he become the Mediator of a new covenant ; 
now shall they who are called, both the faithful 
ones of this and of former dispensations, receive 
the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Heb. 
9: 15.) 

The Cleansing of the Tabernacle. 

Once more does he draw the parallel of type 
and antitype, this time to show yet more clearly 
the necessity of that death upon the cross. It 
required blood of animals, representative of 
man's blood, for the dedication of the first cove- 
nant. The terms of that covenant were an- 
nounced; then the book, the people, the taber- 
nacle, the vessels — all were sprinkled with 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



115 



blood. This, lie tells us, was necessary for 
cleansing — a typical tabernacle, a typical 
cleansing, and typical blood, foreshadowing 
the true tabernacle, the true cleansing, the ef- 
ficacious blood. In almost the identical words 
in which Moses spoke of that blood (Heb. 9: 
20) did Jesus speak of his own. (Matt. 26: 28; 
compare 1 Cor. 11: 25.) As the typical taber- 
nacle — its vessels, its worshipers — had to be 
cleansed, so must also the antitype (the "heav- 
enly things") be — only, the greater covenant, 
with its realities, required the great and real 
atonement blood. So, then, we who are of G-od's 
church are cleansed with the blood of Christ. 
(Eev. 7: 14.) Every item connected with the 
new covenant, its worship and service, is 
cleansed, sealed, and sanctified with that blood. 
Apart from that blood there is no new cove- 
nant, no remission, no cleansing, no acceptance. 

How awful and stern are the demands of 
God's justice appears in the light of this. How 
wonderful his wisdom and the love which sent 
the Son to become our sin offering and our High 
Priest! How the man errs who presumes to 
think that he can be saved on his morality with- 
out the blood of Jesus and Jesus' high-priestly 
ministration; who thus would stamp the whole 
work of the Savior as superfluous and foolish 



116 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



and give Christ's mission the lie! (1 John 1: 
10.) 

We see further that the shadow of the defile- 
ment of our sins had in some way reached into 
heaven itself, and that there it had to be blotted 
out before the face of the Almighty. So, then, 
there was not, could not have been, a new cove- 
nant until Jesus had died, risen, ascended, made 
purification of sins, and sat down at the right 
hand of God. This is the great landmark. It 
was after all this that he was made Lord over 
all, and constituted Head of the church (Eph. 
1: 20-23), and sent forth the Holy Spirit (Acts 
2: 33), and that the terms of the new covenant 
were for the first time proclaimed to the world 
"in the name of [by the authority of] Jesus 
Christ." (Acts 2: 38.) 

Finally, note how Jesus came to the earth the 
first time (Heb. 9: 26) ; how he returned to God 
(verse 24); and that he will "appear a second 
time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, 
unto salvation" (verse 28). We hear so little 
of Christ's second coming, and yet the Bible 
says so much concerning it. It is said to be 
mentioned or alluded to three hundred and 
eighteen times in the New Testament alone. 
The Spirit teaches us to wait for him and look 
for him, and live in this continual expectation. 
(Luke 12: 35, 36, 40; 21: 34-36.) To them that 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



117 



wait for him he brings the final salvation. 
(Heb. 9: 28; 1 Pet. 1: 5, 9, 13.) The church at 
Corinth w r aited for him (1 Cor. 1:7); the church 
at Thessalonica (1 Thess. 1: 9, 10); the Philip- 
pians, Paul included (Phil. 3: 20); all Chris- 
tians, wherever the message of the grace of God 
went (Tit. 2: 11-14). At his return we receive 
our crown and our full reward. When will he 
come? No man knows. Therefore be ready al- 
ways. "He who testifieth these things saith, 
Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus. 
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. 
Amen." These are the last words of the New 
Testament. 

Thou hast shown us wonderful things in 
thy word, God. Thy word is more precious 
than gold — yea, than much fine gold; sweeter 
also than honey. We rejoice greatly before 
thee, for that thou hast washed us in the blood 
of Jesus from all our sins, and hast cleansed our 
conscience that we might serve thee, and, servr 
ing thee, become a blessing to our fellow-men. 
Thou hast given us the promise of the eternal 
inheritance. We reverently thank thee for thy 
grace and condescension to usward; and we love 
because thou hast so greatly loved us. Cleanse 
us, Father, and keep us clean. Create within 



118 Lessons on Hebrews. 



ns a clean heart and a right spirit. Help us to 
live faithfully under the covenant of thy grace 
and love, revealed in Christ Jesus ; and may we 
be found ready and waiting when he conies 
again to gather his own to the place he has pre- 
pared, the Father's house of many mansions. 
Amen. 

* * £ 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

Heb. 10: 1-18 is the next lesson. This fin- 
ishes the argumentative portion of the Epistle. 
Verses 1-4 are plain in the light of the above 
lesson; verses 5-10 treat on "the change of 
will;" and verses 11-18 show the power of 
Christ's sacrifice. It is a lesson to be studied 
reverently and prayerfully. Does repetition im- 
ply imperfection? How does the Holy Spirit 
bear witness to us in this case? (Verses 15-17.) 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



119 



LESSON XV.— HEB. 10: 1-18. 

1 For the law having a shadow of the good things to come, 
not the very image of the things, can never with the same 
sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make 
perfect them that draw nigh. 2 Else would they not have 
ceased to be offered? because the worshippers, having been 
once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of 
sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance made 
of sins year by year. 4 For it is impossible that the blood 
of bulls and goats should take away sins. 5 Wherefore 
when he cometh into the world, he saith, 

Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, 

But a body didst thou prepare for me; 

6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hadst 

no pleasure: 

7 Then said I, Lo, I am came 

(In the roll of the book it is written of me) 
To do thy will, O God. 

8 Saying above, Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt 
offerings and sacrifices for sin thou wouldest not, neither 
hadst pleasure therein (the which are offered according to 
the law), 9 then hath he said, Lo, I am come to do thy will. 
He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 
10 By which will we have been sanctified through the offer- 
ing of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every 
priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering 
oftentimes the same sacrifices, the which can never take 
away sins: 12 but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for 
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 hence- 
forth expecting till his enemies be made the footstool of 
his feet. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever 
them that are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also bear- 
eth witness to us; for after he hath said, 



120 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



16 This is the covenant that I will make with them 
After those days, saith the Lord: 

I will put my laws on their heart, 
And upon their mind also will I write them; 
then saith he, 

17 And their sins and their iniquities will I remember no 

more. 

18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offer- 
ing for sin. 

What does not suffice to-day will not satisfy 
the morrow. The sacrifice that does not remove 
sin the first time will not remove it the second 
time, nor the third, nor the fourth. It affords 
only a temporary passing over of sins; it must 
be repeated again and again. This was the im- 
perfection of the law sacrifices; for "in those 
sacrifices there is a remembrance made of sins 
year by year. For it is impossible that the 
blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." 
Why not? Because that was not the real sac- 
rifice, but a shadow of the good to come. The 
sacrifices being imperfect, those who were 
cleansed by them were not perfectly cleansed, 
and, therefore, could not gain access to God. 

The Real and Efficacious Sacrifice. 

The power and perfection of the sacrifice 
which Jesus brought stands out clearly by con- 
trast. Here is no repetition. (See Heb. 9: 24- 
26.) " Once at the end of the ages hath he been 



Lessons on Hebrews. 121 



manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of 
himself." Unlike the priests of the law, he did 
not ' ' stand 9 9 day by day, ministering and offer- 
ing oftentimes the same sacrifices the which can 
never take away sins; but he, when he had of- 
fered one sacrifice for sins forever, 6 6 sat down." 
(Heb. 1: 3.) That task was completed. The 
sacrifice being perfect, it answered its purpose 
perfectly, and rendered those who come under 
the efficacy of it perfect, as far as atonement 
and cleansing from sins are concerned. "Once 
for all" — that includes past and present; "for- 
ever" takes in all the future. "The blood of 
Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." "For 
by one offering he hath perfected forever them 
that are sanctified. ' ' Therefore we have access 
to God, before whose consuming holiness no sin- 
defiled being can stand. 

The Holy Spirit also bears witness to us. The 
Spirit bears his witness in speech, words to be 
understood and believed. (John 16: 13; Acts 
4: 25; Heb. 3:7.) What is the testimony of the 
Spirit on this point? He declares that in that 
new covenant God shall remember their sins 
and their iniquities no more. So there is no 
more need for a further sin offering. 



122 Lessons on Hebrews. 



The Will of God. 

Although God ordered the sacrifices of the 
old dispensation, and the observance of them 
was according to his will as then given, and 
formed the only means of even that distant ap- 
proach to God that was granted to the worship- 
ers of the old covenant, yet they never were any 
part of God's ultimate will and purpose. Just 
like the scaffolding is not the plan of the archi- 
tect, so those gifts and sacrifices were only "im- 
posed until a time of reformation. ' 9 They were 
the stitchings that loosely connected God with 
his people until the true work perfectly united 
them. The inspired men of old were often made 
to see the inefficiency of those sacrifices, even 
while they were still in force. (See, for in- 
stance, Ps. 51: 16.) The words quoted in our 
lesson are from Ps. 40: 6-8, and are prophetic 
of Jesus Christ. It was granted to him to take 
away the first "will" of God, that he might es- 
tablish the second. The first will commanded 
the typical sacrifices. The second will, the true 
sacrifice, was brought by our Lord. The time 
had come. God willed no more of whole burnt 
offerings. Now, with what sacrifice shall Christ 
fulfill the will of God ? "A body didst thou pre- 
pare for me." And what shall be done with 
that body? For what purpose was it given? 



Lessons on Hebrews. 123 



" To do thy will, God. ' ' This sacrifice had a 
moral value. It was not the unwilling death of 
an unintelligent creature, but the willing obe- 
dience unto death of a free m; t 4 d agent. 
Christ's death was only a part of that sacri- 
fice. His blood stands simply for the end and 
perfection of a lifelong sacrifice. Christ 's whole 
life was one continued act of obedience. (Eom. 
5: 18, 19.) He came by God's will (John 8: 42) ; 
came to do God's will (John 6: 38). He died 
for God's will. (John 10: 18.) The freedom 
from physical blemishes required of the animal 
sacrifice found its antitype in the spiritual per- 
fection of the Son of God, which, tested and 
proved and established in the temptations of 
his lifetime, made his death acceptable and 
truly efficacious as a sin offering. And this 
death marked the establishment of the true 
"will" of God. "By which will we have been 
sanctified through the offering of the body of 
Jesus Christ once for all. ' ' 

What it Means to Us. 

Those who are in Christ must share in the 
mind of Christ. (See Phil. 2 : 5-8.) In the man- 
ner above described Jesus dedicated the new 
and living way to God. To take that way (the 
only way), we must follow him. He leads us on 
the road of obedience and sacrifice unto God. 



124 Lessons on Hebrews. 



It must be with us, as with him, the motto of 
our lives that we have come to do God's will, 
not our own. As for him, so for us God has pre- 
pared a £ c ,>dy, whose proper use is in the doing 
of God's will even unto death, not the gratifi- 
cation of its own lusts and desires. For "the 
body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; 
and the Lord for the body: and God both raised 
the Lord, and will raise up us through his 
power. Know ye not that your bodies are mem- 
bers of Christ? ... Or know ye not that 
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit 
which is in you, which ye have from God? and 
ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a 
price: glorify God therefore in your body." 
(1 Cor. 6: 13-20.) If I am in Christ, I can say 
with Christ: "A body hast thou prepared for 
me." Far from this body being simply a clog 
and hindrance to me, it becomes the very instru- 
ment of God for doing God's work in the earth. 
(Eom. 6: 13, 19.) My feet for hastening unto 
his work and worship, my hands to minister in 
his name, my eyes to look for him, my ears to 
hear for him, my head to think, my mouth to 
speak, my voice to sing — all my members and 
all my faculties for God: this is consecration, 
happiness, and salvation. "Lo, I am come; in 
the roll of the book it is written of me: I de- 



Lessons on Hebeews. 125 



light to do thy will, my God; yea, thy law is 
within my heart." 

£z & 4 

We pray thee, Holy Father, sanctify our bod- 
ies and spirits unto thy service, through the 
blood of Jesus, having washed us from all sin 
through the atonement of his perfect sacrifice. 
May we give day by day our body a living sac- 
rifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our 
spiritual service. Inasmuch as we have been 
bought from the power of Satan, and sin, and 
darkness, and death, with a great price, set thou 
thy seal upon us; for we belong not to ourselves, 
but to thee. "Work thou in us both to will and 
to work of thy good pleasure. Sanctify us 
wholly, and may our spirit and soul and body be 
preserved entire, without blame, at the coming 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to thy faith- 
ful word. In Jesus ' name. Amen. 

£t ^ & 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

We now enter upon the second half of this 
Epistle, which is practical and hortatory, as 
the first half was chiefly doctrinal. Lesson 16 
is Heb. 10 : 19-39. Note three divisions — verses 
19-25; 26-31; 32-39. Find what each of these 



126 



Lessors ox Hebrews. 



three paragraphs specially treats on. Look at 
each verse in each paragraph, and note every 
statement. How shall we take advantage of our 
new privileges! What is that willful sin men- 
tioned in the second paragraph? What evi- 
dence of faith in the Hebrews? (Verses 32-34.) 
What did they need now! Find a similar ex- 
pression in Heb. 6. What is patience! 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



127 



LESSON XVI.— HEB. 10: 19-39. 

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the 
holy place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the way which he 
dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, 
that is to say, his flesh; 21 and having a great priest over 
the house of God; 22 let us draw near with a true heart in 
fulness of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil 
conscience: and having our body washed with pure water, 
23 let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver 
not; for he is faithful that promised: 24 and let us consider 
one another to provoke unto love and good works; 25 not 
forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of 
some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, 
as ye see the day drawing nigh. 

26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the 
knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacri- 
fice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judg- 
ment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adver- 
saries. 28 A man that hath set at nought Moses' law dieth 
without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: 
29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be 
judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of 
God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant where- 
with he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done de- 
spite unto the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him that 
said, Vengeance beiongeth unto me, I will recompense. 
And again, The Lord shall judge his people. 31 It is a 
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, 
after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of 
sufferings; 33 partly, being made a gazing-stock both by 
reproaches and afflictions; and partly, becoming partakers 



128 Lessons on Hebrews. 



with them that were so used. 34 For ye both had compas- 
sion on them that were in bonds, and took joyfully the 
spoiling of your possessions, knowing that ye have for your- 
selves a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Cast not 
away therefore your boldness, which hath great recom- 
pense of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, 
having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. 

37 For yet a very little while, 

He that cometh shall come, and shall not tarry. 

38 But my righteous one shall live by faith: 

And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him. 

39 But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; 
but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul. 

We are now beginning on the second half of 
this Epistle, which consists chiefly of practical 
application of the truths set forth in the first 
part. It is one thing to know a thing, and quite 
another to appropriate that knowledge to our 
use. Many men understood the theory of elec- 
tricity, but Thomas Edison knew how to turn 
the knowledge to practical account. As long 
as a truth is simply an abstract truth to us, it is 
dead. It may be the purest gold, but it sleeps, 
as it were, hidden in the earth, unavailable. 
We live away beneath our privileges. We 
know much of which we never make gain ; many 
truths and facts which we believe, but never 
use — yea, of whose application we have never 
dreamed. Dead capital does not help us. It is 
the highest and most profitable part of Bible 
study to seek at once for the means and ways of 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



129 



turning every truth we have learned to the best 
possible account. Let us, then, not be content 
with the knowledge of the deep and wonderful 
ways of God to usward, but follow on to find to 
what spiritual advantage they may be applied. 

I. How to Take Advantage of Our Privileges. 
(Verses 19-25.) 

"Let us draw near." How dare we? It was 
a very dangerous thing for the high priest to 
draw near unto God even in that typical taber- 
nacle. (Lev. 16: 2.) Our God is a consuming 
fire, awful and terrible. That was the lesson 
of the old covenant. In the new, although the 
old basis of profound reverence and fear of the 
Almighty is retained, God manifests his tender 
love in being a Father to his people, making his 
very terror their refuge, permitting them to 
draw unto close, intimate nearness and fellow- 
ship with him. But "not without blood." We 
have, indeed, boldness to enter into the most 
holy, but only "by the blood of Jesus" and 
through his sacrifice. Yet, having such bold- 
ness through the blood; having the open road, 
the new and living way, dedicated by Jesus; 
having a great Priest over the house of God who 
has previously made atonement for us, sustains 
us, keeps us clean every moment — let us be sure 
to make use of our privilege: "let us draw 
nigh. ' ' 
9 



130 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



Four qualifications: A true heart, fullness of 
faith, hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, 
body washed with pure water — the first having 
reference to the sincerity and purity of motive; 
the second, to that faith (not feeling) that gives 
us access (Eom. 5: 2) ; the third, the sprinkling 
of the blood of Christ which takes away our 
sins, thus cleansing our conscience (Heb. 9: 14; 
1 Pet. 1:2); and the fourth, after the similitude 
of the priests' consecration (Ex. 29: 4; Lev. 16: 
4), can have reference only to baptism. 

Then follow four exhortations. (Verses 23- 
25.) On what grounds shall we hold fast the 
confession of our hope? "He is faithful that 
promised." (Compare Heb. 6: 17-20.) The 
faithfulness of God is often pointed out as 
ground of assurance, especially in matters 
where doubts and fears are liable to oppress us. 
(See, for instance, 1 Cor. 1: 7-9; 1 Thess. 5: 23, 
24; 2 Thess. 3:3.) "Consider one another" — 
the kind consideration of our brethren's pecul- 
iar disposition, strong and weak points, that 
we may not provoke them to anger and bitter- 
ness, but to love and good works. Love pro- 
vokes love; the humble example of good works 
will induce others to follow it. Next, the as- 
sembling of the saints. The apostolic worship 
was conducted "stedfastly" (Acts 2: 42) — 
that is, regularly. We have the example of it 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 131 



on the first day of the week (Acts 20: 7), the ac- 
count there implying that it was the regular 
custom for the church to meet on the first day 
of the week to break bread. The neglect of that 
will harden our hearts, destroy our interest in 
God's word and work. Lastly, "exhort one an- 
other" — a repetition of Heb. 3: 13, but this time 
in connection with the assembling. What 
"day" is spoken of in this passage? Whether 
the day of assembly or the day of judgment, 
matters not. They have so much connection 
that to exhort in regard to the one always points 
to the other. 

n. The Willful Sin. (Verses 26-31.) 

There are many Christians who needlessly 
worry themselves with the thought of having 
committed the sin here spoken of. But those 
who have committed it are the very ones that 
do not worry about it, for they are hardened 
and impenitent. It is "impossible to renew 
them again unto repentance." That sin is not 
"backsliding," but apostasy. Backsliding is 
often fatal, and sometimes terminates in apos- 
tasy. But why should earnest and faithful 
Christians ever fear having committed this 
great sin, when such a clear description is given 
of it? Note what is said concerning it. Draw- 
ing his illustration from the case of a man's 
"setting at naught" the law of Moses — the will- 



132 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



ful, proud thrusting aside of G-od's commands 
through Moses — and the extreme penalty in- 
flicted upon it (a penalty of this world), he 
shows that severer punishment than simply 
death without mercy awaits him who has in like 
manner set at naught Christ's word. The 
greater the messenger and the message, the 
more serious the sin of rejection. (Heb. 12: 25.) 
The higher the advantages and privileges of- 
fered, the greater the responsibility, the deeper 
the condemnation in case of disobedience. Now 
note the description: (1) Treading under foot 
the Son of God. (2) Counting the blood of the 
covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy 
thing. (3) Doing despite unto the Spirit of 
grace. Weigh each of these expressions and 
note their meaning. This is no ordinary sin 
nor any mere weakness, but a conscious, deter- 
mined, malicious repudiation of Christ and the 
Holy Spirit. 

But if you wish to know just where that 
"sin unto death," against Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit, begins, so that, whatever other 
sins you do, you may refrain from this, 
no one can tell you. Any sin is liable to 
lead you into the unpardonable sin. Every 
kind of sin is very dangerous and may end in 
your destruction. The way to refrain from this 
"willful sin" is to refrain from all sin and live 



Lessons on Hebrews. 133 



unto God. It is risking eternity to play with 
the fires of sin and temptation. Some time 
you may step beyond the line and plunge 
yourself into a destruction from which there 
will be no recovery, inasmuch as you will never 
again have the mind to truly repent. "Who 
can discern his errors? Clear thou me from 
hidden faults. Keep back thy servant also from 
presumptuous sins ; let them not have dominion 
over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be 
clear from great transgression. Let the words 
of my mouth and the meditation of my heart 
be acceptable in thy sight, Jehovah, my rock, 
and my redeemer. ' ' 

III. Faith and Patience. (Verses 32-39.) 

He never warns and threatens so as to dis- 
courage. We saw that in Heb. 6: 4-12. No 
sooner has he shown them the fathomless abyss 
that opens beneath, but he points them upward 
and onward, cheering them with good assur- 
ance and hope. If you take this exhortation, 
it is proof in itself that there is hope for you. 
He recalls for them their early faith, when they 
gladly endured sufferings and persecutions for 
the sake of the hope laid up for them in heaven, 
were not afraid or ashamed to own their Lord, 
and joyfully gave up the things that were seen 
for that which is unseen. This disposition they 
must hold fast, and not cast it away. This is 



134 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



faith. Ally faith with patience, and it will lead 
yon to glory. In this case patience is not a pas- 
sive, but an active, virtue: perseverance, stead- 
fastness ; not idle waiting, but continuing stead- 
fastly, like the husbandman "waits" for the 
fruit of the earth (James 5: 7, 8), hoeing and 
plowing the while he is waiting. Then in due 
time, having done the will of God, you shall re- 
ceive the promise. 

It is only a little while; only a little while till 
the Lord shall come; only a little while, at any 
rate, till our little day is done and "the night 
cometh, when no man can work. ' ' 

Stand up, stand up for Jesus, 

The strife will not be long; 
This day the noise of battle, 

The next the victor's song. 

"Behold, I come quickly," says the Lord, 
6 6 and my reward is with me, to give every man 
according as his work shall be.'* "Take heed, 
that no man take thy crown. ' ' This strain shall 
not last forever. Let us not grow weary; in due 
season we shall reap if we faint not. Mean- 
while, to live in faith, in hope, in patience, is 
God's will concerning us; for "the just shall live 
by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul 
shall have no pleasure in him," saith the Lord. 



Lessors ox Hebrews. 



135 



Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson takes a general view of chap- 
ter 11. Bead it over several times before look- 
ing at the notes. See how the description of 
faith in verse 1 applies throughout. 

* £ £ 

Our Father in heaven, we pray that thou 
mayest help us day by day in the practical ap- 
plication of the great truths we have learned. 
Renew us unto greater hope and patience in fol- 
lowing the new and living way opened for us by 
Jesus Christ our Lord. We realize how unable 
we are to stand alone; without thy keeping we 
should soon fall away and be lost beyond return. 
Give us not over to our own lusts. Keep us 
back from presumptuous sins; let them not have 
dominion over us. And inasmuch as our time 
is short, help us to be faithful till the Lord shall 
come, that we may receive our crown of life 
from him who loved us and loosed us from our 
sins by his own blood. Amen. 



\ 



136 Lessons on Hebrews. 



LESSON XVII.— HEB. 11. 

1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a convic- 
tion of things not seen. 2 For therein the elders had wit- 
ness borne to them. 3 By faith we understand that the 
worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what 
is seen hath not been made out of things which appear. 4 
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice 
than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that 
he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his 
gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh. 5 By 
faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; 
and he was not found, because God translated him: for 
he hath had witness borne to him that before his transla- 
tion he had been well-pleasing unto God: 6 and without 
faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he 
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is 
a rewarder of them that seek after him. 7 By faith Noah, 
being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, 
moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of 
his house; through which he condemned the world, and 
became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. 
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out 
unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; 
and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By 
faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in 
a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Ja- 
cob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 for he 
looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose 
builder and maker is God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself 
received power to conceive seed when she was past age, 
since she counted him faithful who had promised: 12 where- 
fore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



137 



so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the 
sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable. 

13 These all died in faith, not having received the prom- 
ises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, 
and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims 
on the earth. 14 For they that say such things make it 
manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own. 
15 And if indeed they had been mindful of that country 
from which they went out, they would have had opportunity 
to return. 16 But now they desire a better country, that 
is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to 
be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city. 

17 By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, 
he that had gladly received the promises was offering up 
his only begotten son; 18 even he to whom it was said, In 
Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 accounting that God is 
able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did 
also in a figure receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac blessed 
Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. 21 By 
faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons 
of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his 
staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made 
mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and 
gave commandment concerning his bones. 23 By faith 
Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his 
parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they 
were not afraid of the king's commandment. 24 By faith 
Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son 
of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 choosing rather to share ill treat- 
ment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures 
of sin for a season; 26 accounting the reproach of Christ 
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked 
unto the recompense of reward. 27 By faith he forsook 
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, 
as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the 
passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer 



138 Lessons on Hebrews. 



of the firstborn should not touch them. 29 By faith they 
passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the 
Egyptians assaying to do were swallowed up. 30 By faith 
the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been com- 
passed about for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the harlot 
perished not with them that were disobedient, having re- 
ceived the spies with peace. 

32 And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me 
if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and 
Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith sub- 
dued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, 
stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, 
escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made 
strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of 
aliens. 35 Women received their dead by a resurrection: 
and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance; 
that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 and oth- 
ers had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of 
bonds and imprisonment: 37 they were stoned, they were 
sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with 
the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; be- 
ing destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (of whom the world 
was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and 
caves, and the holes of the earth. 39 And these all, having 
had witness borne to them through their faith, received not 
the promise, 40 God having provided some better thing con- 
cerning us, that apart from us they should not be made 
perfect. 

Faith Unto the Saving of the Soul. 

Looking back over the last few verses of Heb. 
10, we see how the apostle begins the great 
theme of faith and what meanings the word 
conveys. Faith is reliance on Grod through 
his word. Faith is the sense by which we per- 
ceive the unseen. It is that which enables one 



Lessons on Hebrews. 139 



to give up the goods of this world in conviction 
that he possesses in heaven a better and more 
enduring wealth. (Heb. 10: 34.) In the next 
verse he calls it "boldness" — -which is daunt- 
less, fearless confidence — and speaks of its 
great reward with God. But what makes this 
faith efficient unto the saving of the soul is its 
enduring quality. That is what the Hebrews 
needed above all things — a faith that becomes 
an unwavering principle of life, that patiently 
continues in the path of obedience under ail cir- 
cumstances. Not an initial belief simply, not a 
mere assent to the probability or truth of God's 
message, but a steady state of trust, a living for 
the world to come, a continuous looking unto 
God. He contrasts it with "shrinking back." 
Saving faith does not shrink back from any 
command or demand of God. The righteous 
shall live by faith; those that shrink back, 
shrink back 6 ' unto perdition. ' ' Faith or shrink- 
ing back, life or perdition — these are the alter- 
natives. Which do you take? 

Turn back to Heb. 3: 6, 14, and note the 
"if's." Compare Col. 1: 22, 23. The disobe- 
dience and unbelief of Heb. 3: 18, 19 lay just in 
this "shrinking back" after they had already 
started on the way of faith. Note also Heb. 6: 
11, 12, 15. Hope is founded upon faith. This 



140 Lessons on Hebrews. 



teaching is for those in danger of backsliding 
and apostasy, and is very much needed now. 

The Chapter of Faith. 

Faith is the great need. First, last, and mid- 
dle, he exhorts ns to have faith. And here he 
traces faith in its various manifestations; its 
triumphs and glories; its earthly results, good 
and bad; and its eternal crown. So far he has 
shown us what God has done for us, what Christ 
did and is doing, the great sacrifice, the glorious 
gospel, the Mediator upon the throne interced- 
ing for us, the privileges of the Christian. And 
what for? That we may have faith. All is pre- 
pared, all is promised. Now trust and appro- 
priate this salvation through a life of faith. 

It is faith that makes the glories we hope for 
real to us, so that they are not dreams, air cas- 
tles, vain imaginations, but a real inheritance. 
It is not only the basis of our hopes, but our 
assurance of them. All that is involved in the 
expression: ' 6 Faith is the assurance of things 
hoped for." 

Faith is "a conviction of things not seen;" 
puts us into touch and relationship with the 
unseen, informs us concerning it, and thus 
shapes our whole lives ; for to him who lives in 
this conviction of things unseen the world looks 
different than to one who simply knows and ac- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



141 



cepts what he can perceive with his natural 
senses. He who has faith lives according to the 
unseen world, and often loses advantage in ma- 
terial things, even incurring danger — yea, lay- 
ing down his life and all for the sake of the 
things that are unseen. That this is the true way 
to live and be acceptable to God is seen in the 
fact that God bore witness in approval of such 
a course. (Heb. 11: 2, 4, 5, 39.) That, on the 
other hand, it is the wrong way to live and dis- 
pleasing to God to follow after the things that 
are seen and seek after temporal advantages is 
the lesson of the whole Bible. God's children 
walk by faith, not by sight. They set not their 
minds on things that are upon the earth (Col. 
3: 1, 2); lay not up for themselves treasures 
upon the earth, where moth and rust doth cor- 
rupt, but seek for treasure in the unseen. But 
if any man minds earthly things, he becomes an 
enemy of the cross of Christ. (Phil. 3: 18-20.) 
Now the only possibility of our knowing any- 
thing of the things unseen lies in God's word. 
(1 Cor. 2: 9-14.) He, therefore, who accepts 
God's account of those things as absolutely 
true, acts according to it, stakes everything 
upon.it — in short, is convinced of it as he is of 
what he knows by bodily sense — he has faith. 

To such a man the visible universe means 
more than the face of it presents. Over all, be- 



142 Lessons on Hebrews. 



hind all, lie sees God. In every pebble, in every 
flower, he sees the power and Godhead of the 
Creator. In the rain and sunshine and fruitful 
seasons he sees God's hand dealing out life and 
love, even to the unthankful and evil. He 
ceases to value good things in and for them- 
selves and learns to appreciate the Giver more 
than the gifts, and the gifts the more because 
of the Giver. Wherever he turns, there are 
marks and traces of God; for "by faith we un- 
derstand that the worlds have been framed by 
the word of God." He learns to worship God 
by faith, like Abel; he walks with God by faith, 
like Enoch, living continually in that great and 
wonderful Presence. He understands by faith 
that his life's purpose consists in seeking after 
that God, and that in so doing he cannot come 
to naught, for God "is the rewarder of them 
that seek after him. ' ' He learns to obey God by 
faith, relying upon his word rather than his eyes 
or his reason (Prov. 3: 5, 6) — like Noah, at the 
cost of time and labor and money; like Abra- 
ham, at the cost of home and kindred, looking 
with all assurances for the better home and 
more abiding city of God's promise. He for- 
sakes the guidance of his own wisdom, the fruit 
of his experience and observation, when God's 
word would direct him into other paths, as did 
Sarah when she believed that she should bear 



Lessors ox Hebrews. 



143 



a son in her old age; as did Abraham when he 
offered up Isaac upon the altar — the climax of 
walking in the dark, with no light except that 
of the simple word of God. 

The inspired writer points again to the man 
of faith pronouncing blessings upon his grand- 
sons, in solemn assurance, yet without evidence 
other than God's word of promise (Jacob) ; giv- 
ing commandment concerning his bones in view 
of a future exodus of which there was neither 
sign nor prospect, except that God had said, 
"I will surely bring them up again from the 
land of Egypt" (Joseph); then the daring of 
faith, that, realizing itself backed by the Al- 
mighty, is afraid of no king (Moses' parents); 
then the sacrifice of the faith, which, perceiv- 
ing the glories of God's recompense of reward 
so much greater than aught kings, thrones, 
pleasures, and treasures can offer, rejects these 
and chooses affliction and reproach that it 
may obtain the blessing (Moses); the en- 
durance of a faith that rests in the resources 
of the infinite God; the faith that finds pro- 
tection behind the God-appointed sacrifice; 
the faith that, being in league with Him 
who has all power, fears not to walk between 
two walls of water; the faith that is convinced 
of God's ability to overthrow walls and tow- 
ers if only it complies with his will; and, lastly, 



144 Lessons on Hebrews. 



the faith that seeks friendship with God by 
showing kindness to his people (Rahab). All 
these are different manifestations of the same 
faith; and in all these instances faith is the as- 
surance of things hoped for, a conviction of 
things not seen. 

# * * 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

This is only a general view. Let us this week 
meditate on each example more particularly. 
Note the instances where the "things unseen" 
are mentioned. Consider the manifestation of 
faith in Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, 
Jacob, Joseph, Moses; also the names men- 
tioned in verse 32. What did each one of these 
do? How did each one's act show faith? How 
does faith come? In how many instances here 
did faith manifest itself in sacrifice, in risk of 
life, in risk of possessions? In what instances 
did it incur ridicule, reproach? Who in the 
New Testament lived entirely unto things un- 
seen? 

£ £ £ 

Almighty God, we know thee by faith, that 
thou art above all, and that thou lovest us and 
directest us to eternal happiness and glory; and 
seeing that our own senses cannot penetrate 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



145 



into the real nature of even the things they per- 
ceive, and thus misguide us, thou hast in grace 
shown us the truth concerning all things, as 
we need to know it, in thy holy word. Thou 
turnest our hearts to the things unseen; thou 
teachest us how to live truly and profitably; 
thou hast sworn to us a promise of inheritance 
beside which all the glory of the visible uni- 
verse fades. God, we believe; help thou our 
unbelief. We believe in thy love and forgive- 
ness and goodness. Help us to-day to do thy 
will. Make us able, in view of thyself and our 
unseen home, to sacrifice and deny ourselves. 
Cleanse us from all evil with the sacrifice we 
plead in faith, Jesus Christ our Lord; and 
through him make us thy children indeed, heirs 

of Grod and joint heirs of Christ forever. Amen. 
10 



146 Lessons on Hebrews. 



LESSON XVIII.— HEB. 11: 1-31. 

1 Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a convic- 
tion of things not seen. 2 For therein the elders had wit- 
ness borne to them. 3 By faith we understand that the 
worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what 
is seen hath not been made out of things which appear. 4 
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice 
than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that 
he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his 
girts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh. 5 By 
faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; 
and he was not found, because God translated him: for 
he hath had witness borne to him that before his transla- 
tion he had been well-pleasing unto God: 6 and without 
faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he 
that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is 
a rewarder of them that seek after him. 7 By faith Noah, 
being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, 
moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of 
bis house; through which he condemned the world, and 
became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. 
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out 
unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; 
and he went out, not knowing whither he went. 9 By 
faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in 
a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Ja- 
cob, the heirs with him of the same promise: 10 for he 
looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose 
builder and maker is God. 11 By faith even Sarah herself 
received power to conceive seed when she was past age, 
since she counted him faithful who had promised: 12 where- 
fore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



147 



so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the 
sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable. 

13 These all died in faith, not having received the prom- 
ises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, 
and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims 
on the earth. 14 For they that say such things make it 
manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own. 
15 And if indeed they had been mindful of that country 
from which they went out, they would have had opportunity 
to return. 16 But now they desire a better country, that 
is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, 
to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city. 

17 By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, 
he that had gladly received the promises was offering up 
his only begotten son; 18 even he to whom it was said, In 
Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19 accounting that God is 
able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did 
also in a figure receive him back. 20 By faith Isaac blessed 
Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. 21 By 
faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons 
of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his 
staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made 
mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and 
gave commandment concerning his bones. 23 By faith 
Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his 
parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they 
were not afraid of the king's commandment. 24 By faith 
Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son 
of Pharaoh's daughter; 25 choosing rather to share ill treat- 
ment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures 
of sin for a season; 26 accounting the reproach of Christ 
greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked 
unto the recompense of reward. 27 By faith he forsook 
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, 
as seeing him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the 
passover, and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer 



148 Lessons on Hebrews. 



of the firstborn should not touch them. 29 By faith they 
passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the 
Egyptians assaying to do were swallowed up. 30 By faith 
the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been com- 
passed about for seven days. 31 By faith Rahab the harlot 
perished not with them that were disobedient, having re- 
ceived the spies with peace. 

Faith is a simple principle, easily learned; 
but it lias a multitude of various applications 
in human affairs — as the same law, showing it- 
self in many manifestations; the same melody, 
ringing through unending variations. When 
you say that faith is an implicit reliance upon 
God through his word, it is all summed up. 
But see now how this reliance appears in the 
acts of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, 
Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Israel, Eahab, Gideon, 
Barak, Samson, Jephtha, David, Samuel, and 
the prophets, changing its manifestation ac- 
cording to the peculiar circumstances of each 
case. 

Abel. 

The first instance given us is one of sacri- 
fice — the first shedding of blood with a view to 
atonement and remission of sin, itself a proph- 
ecy according to God's will of the great Sin 
Offering to come. Now, although we have no 
record of God's messages to men in those days, 
we are bound to conclude that God must have 
offered man access through the bloody sacrifice, 



Lessons on Hebrews. 149 



and must have given directions concerning the 
offering of the same; for not only would it be 
impossible for human wisdom to hit upon such 
a means of worship and approach to God, but 
even if it had been of Abel's ingenuity that he 
thought of bringing that kind of sacrifice, it 
would not have been of faith in such a case, 
for faith comes by the word of God. (Rom. 10: 
17.) Abel, therefore, relying upon God's word 
and the promise of acceptance connected with 
it, brought a sacrifice well pleasing to God. 
Cain, on the other hand, relied not on God's 
word of instruction and promise, but, rather, 
followed the light of his reason, his sense of the 
fitness of things, and brought a sacrifice of his 
own devising. This is the bloodless religion of 
the world which survives unto the present day 
in many forms — the deistic religions, the aes- 
thetic religions, the philosophic religions. To 
this Cain religion belong all those systems that 
reject the Sacrifice, the blood of Jesus Christ; 
and every scheme of worship and service that 
has been invented by man. It is an important 
lesson, and one which the great majority even 
of professed Christians have never yet learned, 
that not every act of worship, nor every sacri- 
fice (though it may commend itself ever so 
much to our reason) which is offered with good 
intention, is, therefore, acceptable to God. Our 



150 



Lessors on Hebrews. 



worship and approach to God must be in God's 
way, by the true Sacrifice, and by faith. 

Enoch. 

Of Enoch we are told that he walked with 
God. His faith brought him into communion 
and fellowship with the Almighty, a sense of 
his presence and nearness, and a life according 
with it. To him God was real. He lived as in 
the sight of God; and who would do evil while 
God is at his side? Moreover, he walked with 
God, in God's ways — where he knew God would 
be with him — and was so little influenced by 
the appearance of things that are seen that he 
consulted and chose God's way only, and that 
in everything. He was one of those who through 
"faith wrought righteousness" (verse 33), and, 
therefore, he was translated that he should not 
see death, for he had been well pleasing to God. 

Noah. 

Noah's faith came by the word of God, as 
faith does in every case. He was "warned of 
God. ' ' The things of which God told him were 
yet unseen, future — yea, as far as human wis- 
dom could see, improbable and impossible. So 
Noah relied on the word, and had nothing else 
to rely on. God's warning filled him with fear, 
and he took God's proffered way of safety. The 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



151 



rest of mankind were doubtful as to these mat- 
ters. Some gave the word as preached by Noah 
(2 Pet. 2: 5) no credit at all; others played "ag- 
nostic"- — professed to know nothing about it, 
and "they knew not until the flood came and 
took them all away" (Matt. 24: 39), which 
thing is repeating itself to-day in reference to 
the serious warnings of God to the wicked, the 
prediction of their fearful destiny just at hand. 
But Noah believed God and feared. His faith 
worked and obeyed to the letter. Yet it was 
faith that salved him, not works; but works 
made his faith perfect and efficient before God. 
It is evident here that faith does not exclude 
the strictest obedience or the hardest work. 
Noah staked his time, his labor, and his capital 
on God's word, and (humanly speaking) in- 
curred the risk of loss and ridicule for the sake 
of his convictions. 

Abraham. 

Most noted of all men for faith stands Abra- 
ham. Reared in the midst of idolatry, he hears 
God's message, the call to leave his kindred and 
country, and obeys. He put confidence in the 
Author of the commandment, counting him 
trustworthy, left the consequences in his 
hands, and so went out, not knowing whither 
he went. Thus his faith conquered his love of 



152 Lessons on Hebrews. 



home and kindred and his fear of the unknown 
lands and the unknown future. He became a 
wanderer and a pilgrim on the earth, stead- 
fastly looking for the unseen home of God of 
which he had heard in the promise. His faith 
staked home and kindred and property and life 
upon God's word; so that, if the promise could 
have failed, he would have lost all. He and the 
heirs with him of the same promise committed 
themselves to a steadfast life of faith (compare 
Heb. 10: 36-38), preferring to walk by faith and 
hope, although the way back to their old home 
and its tangible advantages stood continually 
open. Sarah's faith also, basing itself on the 
faithfulness (reliableness) of Him who had 
promised, gave her light and hope where hu- 
man reason saw no hopeful prospect, and 
through faith she received a power above the 
natural. See the beautiful description of faith 
inEom. 4: 18-22. 

But it was in the sacrifice of Isaac that Abra- 
ham's faith reached its climax, for in that son 
all hope was centered. Before the son was born, 
Abraham depended solely upon the promise. 
Now he is apt to trust in Isaac. So Isaac him- 
self must be given up, that faith may indeed 
be shown to rest upon that which is not seen, in 
God's power and faithfulness rather than in 
any visible prospect. And Abraham did not 



Lessons on Hebrews. 153 



hesitate. He loved his son, but he loved God 
supremely. He saw in his son the fulfillment 
of the promise, and could not see how the prom- 
ise could be redeemed if Isaac died. But Abra- 
him never stopped to consider what things 
looked like. God spoke ; that was enough. His 
simple logic was: God is true; therefore the 
promise cannot fail, contrary appearances not- 
withstanding. If God chooses, he can bring 
Isaac back from the dead ; for is he not the child 
of promise, and did not God bring him forth, as 
it were, out of death in the first place? So 
Abraham offered up his son. In sacrificing him 
he received him; in losing him he found him; 
and in giving him up he obtained him forever. 
This is God's way of giving back to us every- 
thing we sacrifice to him sweeter and better a 
hundredfold. 

Other Names. 

We must pass hurriedly over the remaining 
names. It will not be difficult now to show just 
how faith manifested itself in Jacob's blessing 
and in Joseph's making mention of the depar- 
ture of Israel. Nor is it hard to understand how 
Moses could make his strange choice, for it was 
to him a greater privilege to be one of God's 
people than to belong to the royal family of 
Egypt. As he understood it, God's promises 
were sweeter, surer, and more enduring than 



154 Lessons on Hebrews. 



all the pleasures and treasures and glittering 
glories of the court; "for he looked unto the 
recompense of the reward." Moses was not 
foolish, though "men of the world whose por- 
tion is in this life" would call him so. Faith 
does not make men unreasonable; it simply 
gives them a higher reason, a truer reliance, a 
higher motive, and a greater object for which 
to work and live. And it has always been true 
that men who followed after the things that 
were seen became debased and corrupted in 
their pursuit; while those who lived unto the 
things that are not seen, as revealed in the word 
of God, were ennobled and purified. It is, then, 
man's true life to live by faith; and his true 
goal is not here, but among "the things un- 
seen" — in God himself. 

So lived all these heroes of faith; so must we 
live, if our lives are not to be eternal failures. 
With Abel, we draw near to God by the blood; 
like Enoch, we walk with God; with Noah, we 
fear and prepare, that we may be able to stand 
in that day; and, like Abraham, we become 
strangers and pilgrims (Phil. 3: 20; Heb. 13: 14; 
1 Pet. 1: 11; Col. 3:1-3), looking for the better 
country; choosing, with Moses, rather to share 
ill treatment with the people of God than to 
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteem- 
ing the reproach of Christ greater riches than 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



155 



the treasures of Egypt. In all these things we 
follow Him who lived wholly unto the world un- 
seen and unto his Father's will — the Lord and 
Savior Jesus Christ, "who for the joy that was 
set before him endured the cross, despising 
shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of 
the throne of God. 1 ' 

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Our Father, it is thy will that we should seek 
after the things unseen, inasmuch as they only 
are true and abiding and eternal, and the visi- 
ble world and the lust thereof passeth away. 
Yet how we are in bondage to the things that 
are seen, and how low we rate thee and thy re- 
ward because these things do not appeal to our 
present senses! Therefore are we despondent 
and without peace; for "thou hast made us for 
thyself, and our hearts are restless till they rest 
in thee," Lord, help our unbelief. Help us to 
make the first trusting steps, that thus we may be 
led into a deeper faith. May we, in humble and 
obedient study of thy word, come into touch 
with thy unseen universe and obtain that pil- 
grim spirit which characterized our father 
Abraham. Help us, after the example of thy 
servants of old, to seek and find thee a God so 
faithful and true that we may learn to rely 
wholly on thee, staking life and goods and tal- 



156 Lessons on Hebrews. 



ents and all we have and are upon thy word, 
and by faith to win the final victory through 
our intercessor, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

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Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

The next lesson is Heb. 11: 32 to 12: 2. Look 
up the history of the names in verse 32 and see 
how they showed their faith. What kind of 
successes did they make through faith? What 
failures did they endure by faith? Were men 
of faith universally successful and victorious? 
Why does the Lord refer those Hebrew breth- 
ren and us to these examples? Can we accom- 
plish similar things by faith? Was not that in 
the age of miracles? How, then, can it encour- 
age us? Chapter 12: What cloud of witnesses 
does he speak of? What is the "weight" we 
should lay aside? What is "the sin which doth 
so easily beset us ? " 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



157 



LESSON XIX.— HEB. 11: 32 TO 12: 2. 

32 And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if 
I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and 
Samuel and the prcrphets: 33 who through faith sub- 
dued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, 
stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, 
escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made 
strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of 
aliens. 35 Women received their dead by a resurrection: 
and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance; 
that they might obtain a better resurrection: 3G and others 
had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of 
bonds and imprisonment: 37 they were stoned, they were 
sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with 
the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; 
being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (of whom the world 
was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and 
caves, and the holes of the earth. 39 And these all, having 
had witness borne to them through their faith, received 
not the promise, 40 God having provided some better thing 
concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made 
perfect. 

1 Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about 
with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, 
and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run 
with patience the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto 
Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the 
joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising 
shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne 
of God. 

The examples of faith in the eleventh chapter 
follow the chronological order. Beginning with 



158 Lessons on Hebrews. 



the mention of creation, he speaks of Abel, then 
of Enoch, then Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
Moses; whereupon comes the exodus from 
Egypt? the crossing of the Bed Sea, and some 
events connected with the possessing of the 
promised land — the fall of Jericho and the sav- 
ing of Bahab. The rest of Israel's history he 
cannot enter into particularly, but briefly men- 
tions the names of a few bright stars in the na- 
tion's galaxy of faithful ones, and then gives a 
general summary of great things done through 
faith. 

Ten kinds of victories of achievement. "Who 
subdued kingdoms by faith? Who obtained 
promises? Who was delivered from lions by his 
trust in God? Who from the power of fire? 
Who from the violence of men — the edge of the 
sword? Who received a new influx of strength 
from God, a supply of their weakness? (Sam- 
son's history; see about Sarah, verse 11; com- 
pare David— Ps. 18: 29-34.) Who waxed 
mighty in war and turned to flight armies of 
the aliens? What women received their dead 
by a resurrection? Any reference Bible will en- 
able one to answer all this. 

Notable Points. 

Now, in regard to these victories of faith, 
there are several notable points to be men- 
tioned. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



159 



h The faith of those heroes met with trying 
circumstances and was victorious in dangers 
and difficulties. Nothing is further from the 
truth than the idea that trusting in God will in- 
sure an easy and comfortable life, smooth sail- 
ing under clear skies, with continually favor- 
able breezes. Not so. Even when Jesus was 
himself in the boat with his disciples, there 
arose a great storm. Victory means conflict; 
and conflicts mean adversaries, obstacles, evils, 
and dangers. "The memory of the heroes and 
heroisms of the olden time," says Andrew Mur- 
ray, "may be most instructive if we regard 
them in their true light. One thing that im- 
presses us is how little God has promised to 
faith that it will be freed from difficulty and 
danger. It would be as easy to God to prevent 
the enemy coming as to give the victory over 
him. To do this would be infinite loss; faith 
would never be called into exercise; man would 
never learn to know either his God or himself 
as God's child. Every trial accomplishes a 
double purpose. It gives us the opportunity of 
honoring God by the trust with which we wait 
on him, and it gives God the opportunity of 
showing how faithful he is in watching over 
his child, and how truly God is working for him 
and in him. It is in trial that all the heart of 
the child is drawn out toward the father in de- 



160 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



pendence, humility, and trust. It is in trial that 
God can reveal in the opened heart of his child 
all the tenderness and all the saving power of 
his love. Without trial there could be no school 
of faith, no growth of spiritual character, no 
strength of will given up to God and clinging 
to him. Let us bless God for every trial, small 
or great. ' ' 

2. The great things these heroes accom- 
plished were done by faith — that is to say, in 
reliance upon God and at the bidding of his 
word. The man who follows his own will or 
wisdom is not walking by faith. Aside from the 
one reason that they were following the word 
of the Almighty, the actions of those men of 
faith had no justification — were utterly unrea- 
sonable. It was not Gideon's human wisdom 
that led him to attack the numberless host of 
Midian with three hundred men, but the wis- 
dom of God, which to men seems as foolishness. 
Luke 5: 4-6 illustrates the principle of acting 
by faith — that is, on God's word alone; like- 
wise Matt. 14: 29. 

3. The winning of those victories and tri- 
umphs required power. We can also see at a 
glance that the power was not of man; for the 
weakness of these men, in each case, was the 
very reason why they trusted in God. The 
power was of God. It was God that gave vie- 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 161 



tory to Gideon, Barak, David. Even Samson 
had no abnormal strength of liis own, bnt his 
strength was imparted of God — not of man, nor 
of human nature. From all of which we gather 
the vastly important lesson that faith walks in 
the power of God, acts in the power of God, 
fights by the power of God; and since God's 
power is invincible, faith can never fail or be 
overcome. 

What Does it Mean to Us? 

What, then, have those great examples to do 
with us? Simply this: That when we, as they 
did, go forth to do God's bidding, we may count 
upon God's power to enable us to do; and when 
we at God's word go forth to meet Satan in all 
his power, the principalities and powers and 
spiritual hosts of wickedness, the world and 
the flesh besides, we shall be held up in the con- 
flict, though we are weak, because it is the fight 
of faith; we shall be more than conquerors, for 
we stand in the Lord and in the power of his 
might. We can do all things through Christ 
that strengthened us. 6 6 Through God we shall 
do valiantly, for he it is that will tread down 
our adversaries." We depend upon him. 
When we go to obey him, we trust no human 
prospect, for we are weak. But God is with us, 
as he was with them. Let us not fear, nor be 
11 



162 



Lessons on Hebrews, 



discouraged at the immensity of the task or the 
strength of the adversary. "Hast thou not 
known? hast thou not heard? The everlasting 
God, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the 
earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. . . . 
He giveth power to the faint; and to him that 
hath no might he increaseth strength. [Mere 
human strength will not suffice, for] Even the 
youths shall faint and be weary, and the young 
men [man at his best] shall utterly fall: but 
they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their 
strength; they shall mount up with wings as 
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they 
shall walk, and not faint." (Isa, 40: 28-31.) 

Victories of Endurance. 

Faith alw T ays was, is, and shall be, successful 
and victorious in every undertaking, every bat- 
tle. That is according to God's idea of suc- 
cess. But as men see it, some of the heroes of 
faith were vanquished and left dead upon the 
battlefield. As others by faith won in the con- 
flict, so these by faith could afford to fail and 
lose for God. But did they fail ? Did they lose? 
Is it not as great a victory to endure loss, tor- 
ture, and death in holding fast a principle when 
hostile forces by bribe or threat would compel 
you to give it up? Death is no failure to God's 
people; whereas surrendering loyalty to God in 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



163 



order to save one's life would be failure indeed 
and ignominious defeat. ' ' Thy saints in all this 
glorious war shall conquer, though they die." 
The same faith, then, that made some strong to 
do great feats and win successes of achieve- 
ment, made others strong to win great successes 
of endurance. These, suffering all manner of 
evils and cruelties, and being sustained in the 
darkest hour by trust in the God who would 
not allow that they should come to naught in 
the end, counted not the sufferings of the pres- 
ent time worthy to be compared with the glory 
that shall be revealed. Chief of this class of 
sufferers was Jesus Christ himself. They might 
have escaped that fate had they chosen to do 
so; but they lived for the unseen, and gave up 
this present life that they might obtain a better 
resurrection. (Verses 35-38.) 

That those saints of old had to wait for Jesus 
before they could be truly cleansed and per- 
fected and obtain the promise in its fullness and 
reality (verses 39, 40) has already been brought 
out in connection with Heb. 9 : 15. 

The Christian Race. 

Who, then, are the great cloud of witnesses ? 
The men of faith mentioned and alluded to in 
the eleventh chapter. And of what are they 
witnesses? Of God's faithfulness and the re- 



164 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



ward of faith? No doubt. But here they are 

represented as witnesses of our Christian race. 
It may be too much to conclude from this that 
the spirits of the departed faithful men are cog- 
nizant of our affairs and are watching our race. 
By an easy figure of speech these nien, who are 
examples to be emulated and before whom we 
need to be ashamed if with all the light and ad- 
vantage of this day we fail in a race which they 
won in those darker times, could be represented 
as witnesses; just as Napoleon, in his speech un- 
der the shadow of the Egyptian pyramids, said 
to his soldiers: "Frenchmen, forty centuries are 
looking down upon you; quit you like men!" 
If, however, the import of this verse (12: 1) is 
literal, it certainly implies a knowledge of, and 
a moral participation in, our race by those vic- 
torious souls of old. 

Preparation for the Race. 

The first preparation now is to lay aside 
eveiy weight. Weights are not sins. The man 
who runs in a race must deny himself many 
things that are good and lawful, because they 
hinder and encumber. "And every man that 
striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in 
all things. Now they do it to receive a corrupt- 
ible crown, but we an incorruptible." (1 Cor. 
9: 25.) In eating and drinking, in apparel, in 



Lessons on Hebrews. 165 



possessions, in pleasures, in associations, here 
and there, we find a weight that hinders us. 
Blessed is he who will cast all drawbacks and 
needless bulk aside and concentrate all his heart 
on winning the race. Let every man be his own 
judge in these matters and deal faithfully with 
himself. "And if thy right hand causeth thee 
to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it 
is profitable for thee that one of thy members 
should perish, and not thy whole body go into 
hell." 

The next preparation is to lay aside the sin 
which does so easily beset us. Every man will 
himself know best what sin that is in his case. 
There, where our weakest point is, we must 
fight the strongest fight. That particular sin we 
must turn against with our whole heart, and 
put it to death, cutting off its every avenue, 
forestalling its approach, rejecting it in every 
guise, watching and praying. 

Now that the hindrances and bars are re- 
moved, comes the exhortation: "Let us run." 
There is no other figure that so represents en- 
tire concentration of soul and purpose upon one 
end. During the race the runner has but one 
aim, one thought — to make the goal. Paul said: 
"One thing I do: forgetting the things which 
are behind, and stretching forward to the things 
which are before, I press on toward the goal unto 



166 Lessons on Hebrews. 



the prize of the high calling of God in Christ 
Jesus." So run, and you shall obtain. More- 
over, this is not a spurt only, but "run in pa- 
tience" — it is a Marathon run of steady, patient 
endurance. The meanwhile look unto Jesus; 
from him is all your strength, in him is your life. 
He will sustain you. He first originated your 
faith ; continue in it now, and he shall be its per- 
fecter and rewarder. 

& 

Father, give us help and grace that we may 
run a good race. Help us to divest ourselves of 
everything, however lawful and pleasant, that 
would encumber us and draw our hearts away 
from the goal of the high calling. We know 
that in this race no other man's success can 
mean failure to us, and that there is no doubt 
of our reward if we run patiently and faithfully. 
We look unto thee, Lord; our souls look up 
unto thee. Be thou near to encourage us and 
strengthen us. May we also, after the example 
of thy people of old, meet our adversary in the 
armor of faith; stand fast in faith through 
whatever trial and danger we may have to en- 
counter. Show us the joy of believing, and give 
us the calm that fills the heart which is stayed 
on thee. Guard us safe in thy power through 
faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 167 



last time; keep us from stumbling, and set us 
before the presence of thy glory without blem- 
ish in exceeding joy, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. 

# * « 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

(Heb. 12: 3-13.) 

Why does God allow us to suffer? AYhat 
is chastening? "What is the Bible teaching as 
to the meaning and aim of chastening? How 
shall we take chastening? Does anything de- 
pend upon the spirit in which we receive it ? 



168 



Lessons on Hebrews, 



LESSON XX.— HEB. 12: 3-13. 

3 For consider him that hath endured such gainsaying 
of sinners against himself, that ye wax not weary, faint- 
ing in your souls. 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, 
striving against sin: 5 and ye have forgotten the exhorta- 
tion which reasoneth with you as with sons, 

My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, 

Nor faint when thou art reproved of him; 

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, 
And scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

7 It is for chastening that ye endure; God dealeth with you 
as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chas- 
teneth not? 8 But if ye are without chastening, whereof 
all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not 
sons. 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to 
chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much 
rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed 
good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be par- 
takers of his holiness. 11 All chastening seemeth for the 
present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it 
yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exer- 
cised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness. 12 Where- 
fore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied 
knees; 13 and make straight paths for your feet, that that 
which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather 
be healed. 

Let ns divide the twelfth chapter into three 
portions, according to the paragraphs in the 
American Eevised Version — the first, on God's 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



169 



teaching about chastening (verses 3-13); sec- 
ond, an admonition and warning (verses 14-17) ; 
third, a final contrast between the two cove- 
nants and the respective relationships of their 
worshipers toward God, and exhortation drawn 
from these facts (verses 18-29). 

I. Chastening. (Verses 3-13.) 

It is hard to believe in God's love and care 
when we are troubled. That goodness and mercy 
follow us in the bright, happy days of life, we 
gladly acknowledge, chiefly because we think 
we can see it; but the assurance that "goodness 
and mercy follow us all the days of our lives" — 
more especially in regard to the dark days — 
only faith can maintain. Sight fails us there. 
That calamities and sufferings work for our 
good is not often apparent. AVe think they in- 
jure us; at least, they might have been avoided. 
If we are under the shadow of his wing, it seems 
God could and would protect us from misfor- 
tunes. TVe feel tempted to distrust him. At 
any rate, we are inclined to distrust ourselves — 
the sincerity of our faith, the reality of our re- 
ligion. God seems to have left us. Something 
must be wrong. Then comes the danger of cast- 
ing away our boldness and our confidence and 
hope, to become unfaithful, and perhaps aposta- 
tize altogether. Against this danger all these 
exhortations in Hebrews are directed. Hold 



170 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



fast! Do not be discouraged. Cast not away 
your boldness. Do not shrink back. Continue 
steadfastly, firmly, patiently unto the end. 
Come or go what may, hold to your faith, to 
your gospel, your God, your Savior. Through 
fire and flood, through tempests and earth- 
quakes, keep your good courage and loyalty to 
your Lord. These things, far from proving that 
God is not with us, show that you are accepted 
in his army of soldiers, sufferers, and martyrs. 
These afflictions invariably accompany such ac- 
ceptance, and are a proof in themselves that 
God regards us as his own. (Matt. 5: 10-12.) 

With one voice the Scriptures, old and new, 
declare this strange and consoling fact. Just 
in the preceding chapter there is an enumera- 
tion of sufferings endured in faith by men of 
faith, to whom God bore witness. Jesus, the 
very Son of God himself, stands for an example 
of sufferings and afflictions; and God's pleas- 
ure rested upon him always in all fullness. In 
the midst of the conflict, Jesus knew that God 
had given his angels charge concerning him, to 
keep him in all his ways, to bear him up in their 
hands lest he dash his foot against a stone. He 
knew that nothing could happen to him, except 
as his Father ordered it, and that no real and 
final harm could possibly befall him. See the 
many passages that tell us that we must "suffer 



Lessons on Hebrews. 171 



with him." The apostles considered it a great 
privilege. (Acts 5: 41.) Paul spoke of it as 
though it were a special favor granted. (Phil. 
1: 29.) He emphatically assures all of us who 
have come to Christ that all things work to- 
gether for our good; that in tribulation, or an- 
guish, or persecution, or nakedness, or peril, or 
sword, we are more than conquerors through 
him that loved us; and that neither life, nor 
death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor pow- 
ers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
any other creature, shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus 
our Lord. (Bom. 8.) 

The words in this lesson are very plain, and 
need no comments. We can, however, arrive at 
a better understanding by directing our atten- 
tion to a few items. The first admonition is: 
"Regard not lightly the chastening of the 
Lord." If you do, you will lose the benefit of 
it. Human wisdom and philosophy offer all 
kinds of false refuges from sorrow. There is a 
modern stoicism, illustrated in "Mrs. Wiggs 
of the Cabbage Patch," which is the old heathen 
stoicism revamped, painted here and there with 
a very thin coating of Christian sentiment, all of 
which, after all, amounts to but little more than 
deadened feelings and callousness of heart. Or 
there is the ' 6 New Thought ' ' philosophy of which 



172 Lessons on Hebrews. 



Ella Wheeler AVilcox is an exponent, which ex- 
alts self-confidence in the place of faith, ignores 
trouble and danger, and lives in a blind, happy 
expectation of good. It borrows from Emerson, 
Plato, and the heathen Epicurean doctrines; 
adapts the despairing optimism of Omar Khay- 
yam. The world's crude remedy for trouble is: 
Shake it off; travel, visit, laugh, sing, work — 
anything to drown out the pain and forget; by 
pessimism, optimism, fatalism, or in whatever 
way possible to remove its sting. These are the 
poisonous potions human doctors recommend to 
the heartsick. God's remedy is signally differ- 
ent. You must not despise his chastening nor 
regard it lightly. Jesus would take no stupefy- 
ing draught to allay the sufferings on the cross. 
Why should he seek to escape that which his 
wise and good Father saw best to lay upon him? 
6 6 The cup which my Father hath given me, shall 
I not drink it?" There is no ignoring of its 
darkness, no effort at indifference or deaden- 
ing of sensibilities. Witness Gethsemane. 

On the other hand, the admonition comes: 
"Nor faint when thou art reproved of him." 
This is the other extreme. To faint is to give 
up in discouragement or despair. God wants 
us to conquer in these things — not, as the world 
would teach us, evade them. To this end he 
gives us these blessed assurances: (1) He loves 



Lessons on Hebkews. 173 



us. 6 ' Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." 
Our affliction is from him — not accidental, not 
wanton, not needless. "For he doth not afflict 
willingly, nor grieve the children of men." 
(Lam. 3: 33.) His love also assures of his sym- 
pathy. "In all their affliction he was afflicted. ' ' 
(Isa. 63: 9.) "His soul was grieved for the 
misery of Israel." (Judg. 10: 16.) (2) The 
very fact that we are chastened is the founda- 
tion of hope and joy; it proves that we are sons. 
(Heb. 12: 7, 8.) "All that live godly in Christ 
Jesus shall suffer persecution." (3) He is good 
and wise. If we need to be chastened, who can 
do it better than God? He knows just when, 
where, how, how much — not one stroke too 
many. He is our good and all-wise Father in 
heaven; let us take affliction as from him in 
childlike confidence and submission. (4) He 
chastens us for our profit — not to let out irrita- 
tion or satisfy his wrath on us, as sometimes 
do earthly fathers. He has a living purpose. 
"Every branch that beareth fruit, he cleanseth 
it, that it may bear more fruit." (John 15: 2.) 
If we are to enjoy him and live together with 
him forever, we must become holy, as he is holy. 
So he chastens us that we may be partakers of 
his holiness. It is well to note here that chas- 
tening does not primarily imply the idea of 
punishment for sin. Though it may include 



174 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



that, its first meaning is "purifying." These 
hardships and sufferings strengthen and purify 
the soul. The best men of earth have been chil- 
dren of adversity. "It is good for a man that 
he bear the yoke in his youth." (Lam. 3: 27.) 
Again: "I will bring the third part [of the peo- 
ple] into the fire, and will refine them as silver 
is refined, and will try them as gold is tried." 
All their dross will he consume. And during 
that time of chastening God will be especially 
near to his people, their stay and comfort. 
"They shall call on my name, and I will hear 
them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall 
say, Jehovah is my God." (Zech. 13: 9; com- 
pare Ps. 23: 4.) (5) There will be good and 
happy results — peaceable fruit of righteousness 
to all that have profited by God's chastening. 
The Christian's suffering has a background of 
true hope. It is the very means to our final sal- 
vation from all sin and grief forever. "Our 
light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh 
for us more and more exceedingly an eternal 
weight of glory." (2 Cor. 4: 17.) "God's 
ways," says Martin Luther, "are like a Hebrew 
book: one must read them backward to under- 
stand them. 9 9 But if you go to the end and look 
backward — lo, the past sufferings are not wor- 
thy to be compared with the glory that meets 
your view. There they who came out of great 



Lessons on Hebrews. 175 



tribulation stand, clothed in white robes and 
palms in their hands, before the throne of God, 
and serve him day and night in his temple. He 
that sitteth upon the throne spreads his taber- 
nacle over them. They hunger no more, nei- 
ther thirst any more; the sun cannot strike 
them, nor any heat; the Lamb himself is their 
Shepherd and guides them unto fountains of 
water of life. "And God shall wipe away every 
tear from their eyes. ' ' 

Let us be of good courage, and lift up the 
weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Je- 
sus said: "In the world ye shall have tribula- 
tion: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the 
w r orld." We also shall overcome in him and 
through him, if we hold fast the beginning of 
our confidence steadfast unto the end, for he is 
faithful that promised. 

Our Father in heaven, forgive us if in our ig- 
norance we have murmured against thee be- 
cause thou dost chasten us. We know now that 
all thy dealings with us are only goodness and 
mercy, and thou lovest us even as thou lovest 
thy Son, Jesus Christ. Keep thou before our 
minds these eternal truths concerning thy love 
and tender sympathy. May we never doubt 
them. Whatever comes upon us, may we see 



176 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



thy hand in it, and may thy love and thy near- 
ness make every sorrow sweet. In all our suf- 
ferings grant us thy comfort also; and may we, 
like thy servant Paul, learn the secret to be 
' 6 sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing. ' ' We are very 
thankful to be in the hands of a Father who 
works for our interest in wisdom and love, who 
directs all our affairs, and who gives us tears 
and smiles in due season for our greatest profit 
and usefulness. Guide us, Holy Father, the 
more as we place our lives more fully and per- 
fectly into thy hands. Preserve us from the 
corroding sorrow of the world, which worketh 
death. Be thou the administrator of our chas- 
tening and sanctifier of our grief. Teach us to 
neither regard it lightly nor to faint under it, 
that we may be exercised thereby; and having 
been made partakers of thy holiness, may we 
rejoice in unspeakable glory before thee 
through all eternity, through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

(Heb. 12:14-17.) 

Who is sanctified? Why does he yet tell us 
to "follow after" sanctification? What kind 
of man was Esau, and wherein did he do wrong? 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



177 



LESSON XXI.— HEB. 12: 14-17. 

14 Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctifica- 
tion without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 looking 
carefully lest there be any man that falleth short of the 
grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trou- 
ble you, and thereby the many be denied; 16 lest there ~be 
any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one 
mess of meat sold his own birthright. 17 For ye know 
that even when he afterward desired to inherit the bless- 
ing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change 
of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with 
tears. 

II. Admonition and Warning. (Verses 14- 
17.) 

The lesson opens with the exhortation to "fol- 
low after peace with all men, and the sanctifica- 
tion without which no man shall see the Lord." 
We are children of peace. Jesns is the Prince of 
Peace. The final result of his work will be that 
"they shall beat their swords into plowshares, 
and their spears into priming hooks; nation 
shall not lift up sword against nation, neither 
shall they learn war any more, ' ' (Isa. 2:4.) A 
Christian cannot obey his Master and engage in 
carnal warfare at the same time. The parents 
who are educating their sons for a military ca- 

12 



178 Lessons ox Hebkews. 

reer are preparing them unto a life of diso- 
bedience to Christ. If Christ is going to ulti- 
mately bring peace on the earth and to teach 
the nations to cease war, it is evidently absurd 
to maintain that a follower of Christ may take 
part in the very things Jesus came to abolish. 
In private affairs also, "as much as lieth in you, 
live peaceably with all men ; ' ' for all that engen- 
ders strife — envy, malice, hatred, jealousy, un- 
kindness, lack of patience, ungoverned temper, 
uncontrolled tongues, vengefulness — these are 
works of the flesh. (James 4: 1.) Jesus calls 
us to be meek and lowly of heart; to meet insult 
and injury in love to man, committing ourselves 
unto Him that judgeth righteously, and who 
will not fail to vindicate us and our cause. 
"Vengeance is mine, I will repay." Read care- 
fully what is written on this subject in Rom. 
12 : 18-21; 1 Pet. 2: 19-22. Jesus taught his dis- 
ciples the doctrine of nonresistance to evil. 
(Matt. 5: 38-42.) But if, as in Jesus' case, all 
this good will of God is obeyed, and yet men 
hate and oppose us, we are not guilty, for "as 
much as in us lieth" we have lived for peace. 
Jesus' life and work occasioned much strife. 
But that was not Jesus' fault. "Blessed is he 
whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling 
in me." So likewise if we faithfully live for 
Christ, we shall meet with opposition and strife; 



Lessons os Hebrews. 



179 



for all that would live godly in Christ Jesus 
shall suffer persecution. 

Sanctification. 

On this subject much is spoken and written 
that is wrong and hurtful. Xeither is the 
mistake all on one side of the controversy. Let 
us learn first that all Christians are sanctified 
through Christ's sacrifice and blood. (Heb. 10: 
10; 13: 12.) Even the weak Corinthian Chris- 
tians who were yet carnal (1 Cor. 3: 1, 3) and 
guilty of divisions, envyings, strife, and sev- 
eral other evil practices for which Paul rebukes 
them, are addressed as the 6 6 sanctified in Christ 
Jesus" (1 Cor. 1:2; compare 6: 11). Just as 
God claimed all the firstborn of man or beast 
for his own, because he had saved them through 
the blood of the passover lamb, so does he claim 
all those who through the blood of Jesus Christ 
have been redeemed as his own. They are thus 
' 6 sanctified, " "set apart" unto God. (Ex. 13: 
2, 12.) But "sanctified" not only means "set 
apart" to God's service, but, by implication, 
"pure." "clean," "undefiled." Any one by 
taking a concordance can verify that without 
difficulty. Therefore the same blood that set us 
apart also washed us whiter than the snow. 
Xow here is the chief item for our considera- 
tion: "When first we became Christians, God 



180 Lessons on Hebrews. 



gave us a clear title to sonship, but afterwards 
tells ns that on certain conditions we shall be 
children of God. (2 Cor. 6: 17, 18; Rev. 21: 7.) 
When we were baptized, we put on Christ (Gal. 
3: 27); yet long afterwards he exhorts us to 
"put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Bom. 13: 14). 
When we obeyed the gospel, we received the 
perfect righteousness of God by free gift and 
imputation; yet he exhorts us to "follow after 
[pursue] righteousness." (1 Tim. 6: 11.) 
What does it mean? Simply that these gifts, 
which in name and standing we fully enjoy as 
soon as we are in Christ, must be actually 
worked out and lived out day by day, so that 
our " state" may correspond with our "stand- 
ing" before God, that the righteousness and 
sanctification we have in Christ may be verified 
and vindicated in our daily lives, and the power 
of this faith in him may be manifest to the 
world. To those, therefore, who already have 
been sanctified in Christ Jesus it is commanded 
to pursue after "the sanctification without 
which no man shall see the Lord." The pure 
in heart shall see God. "Having therefore 
these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves 
from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfect- 
ing holiness in the fear of God." (2 Cor. 7:1.) 

Very many Christians never so much as at- 
tempt that. "Why, we can't do that; we can't 



Lessons on Hebrews. 181 



live sinless lives/' they say; and so they lay 
that aside as an impossibility, ridiculing the 
very thought of it. Moreover, much valuable 
time, breath, and space is wasted, both in pul- 
pits and papers, in trying to prove that we can- 
not live without sinning, and disparaging those 
who would aim at it. Now this is an extreme 
at least as bad and harmful as that presented 
by the so-called " sanctificationists. " "Zeal 
without knowledge" is hardly worse than com- 
promise with sin. It is not our business, in the 
first place, to determine what we can or cannot 
do in this matter. When God commands, it is 
for us to " trust and obey." It is to such that 
God gives grace and strength. That colored 
preacher who said, "When the Lord leads me 
to a brick wall and tells me to jump through, 
it is my business to jump and God's business to 
make the hole," had the right idea of faith. 
The Duke of Wellington ordered a bridge built 
across a ravine. The chief officer of the engi- 
neering corps came to him with representations 
concerning the extreme difficulty of the task. 
"I did not ask your opinion, sir," replied the 
Duke; "I gave my orders, and expect them to 
be obeyed." If such is the standard of respect 
and subordination required among men, how 
much more should it be so toward the God who 
is over all, who demands nothing unreasonable 



182 



Lessons on Hebbews. 



of his children, and is able to make all grace to 
abound toward us in all things, and make us 
perfect in every good work, working in us the 
things that are well pleasing in his sight ! 

Note, then, that this sanctification we are to 
follow after is nothing short of entire consecra- 
tion and purity of heart and life. "Every one 
that hath this hope set on him purifieth him- 
self, even as he [Christ] is pure." (1 John 3: 
3.) Is this your aim and daily motto? Then 
you are following "the sanctification without 
which no man shall see the Lord." Again see 
how that will affect your conduct: "As chil- 
dren of obedience, not fashioning yourselves ac- 
cording to your former lusts in the time of your 
ignorance: but like as he who called you is 
holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner 
of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; 
for I am holy." (1 Pet. 1: 14-16.) Examine 
the contexts of Lev. 11: 44; 19: 2; 20: 7, whence 
Peter quotes the last clause above, and see that 
there, too, the chief idea is purity of life. There 
are other passages to the same effect. Can you 
afford to ignore them? 

Do not now begin to split hairs and make fine 
points as to what constitutes "absolute sinless- 
ness," and such like. Neither set up a straw 
man, and, having named him "Sinless Perfec- 
tion," proceed to knock him over. That is sub- 



Lessors ox Hebrews. 



183 



terfuge, and irrelevant. Paul said he knew 
nothing against himself (can yon say that?), 
from which, however, he did not conclude that 
he had time to sit down or no more room for 
growth. (Bead 1 Cor. 4: 4.) Neither did he 
claim perfection on that score. (See Phil. 3: 12- 
14.) Let it be our sole aim to live free from all 
known sin, and then to follow a yet higher walk 
as we grow in understanding and knowledge of 
Jesus Christ. By following after sanctification 
day by day the churches at Smyrna and Phila- 
delphia (Rev. 2 and 3) arrived at a state in 
which Jesus found nothing to reprove. So also 
the members of the church at Sardis, who ' ' did 
not defile their garments." "And they shall 
walk with me in white; for they are worthy. 
He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in 
white garments; and I will in no wise blot his 
name out of the book of life, and I will confess 
his name before my Father, and before his an- 
gels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what 
the Spirit saith to the churches. ' ' (Rev. 3 : 4-6. ) 

Roots of Bitterness. 

Look carefully. This is addressed to all for 
a safeguard. Some evils come unobserved. 
Like the tares, you cannot easily recognize them 
in the seed or in the bud; but only when they 
have fully established themselves do they show 



184 Lessons on Hebrews. 



their true nature and fruits. For illustration, 
behold how a few apparently harmless inno- 
vations, a few slight additions and changes here 
and there in the things of God, issued in the 
enormous perversions of the Church of Rome. 
And that history is constantly repeating itself. 
Many roots of bitterness spring up unnoticed, 
unsuspected. Sometimes a bad or foolish man, 
sometimes a false doctrine, sometimes a wrong 
practice, becomes a scourge and plague unto the 
church. Look carefully. A fire is much more 
easily quenched at its beginning than after the 
whole house is ablaze. 

Esau. 

Esau stands diametrically opposite in char- 
acter to his father, Abraham. Even as Abra- 
ham lived for the unseen and sacrificed tem- 
poral advantages for the unseen promise, so 
Esau lived for the things that appeal to sense, 
and sacrificed his share in the promise for a 
very trifling temporal good. For the momen- 
tary gratification of his appetite he willingly 
gave up his birthright. He is the type and fa- 
ther of all the "men of the world, whose por- 
tion is in this life" (Ps. 17: 14) ; and their name 
is Legion. 

Esau was not utterly bad. Probably he had 
all the qualities that go to make the "jolly good 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



185 



fellow" that is everywhere welcome. He was 
of a forgiving turn of mind, even magnanimous. 
See how kindly, almost tenderly, he received 
Jacob, who once by guile had taken advantage 
of him. His fatal fault was that he had no aspi- 
ration beyond the flesh, no appreciation of 
things unseen. He had no faith, wanted no 
faith. This world was good enough for him. 
God's promise was very good as far as promises 
go, but a bird in the hand was, to him, worth 
two in the bush. 0, the Esaus in the world to- 
day — men almost exemplary as citizens, neigh- 
bors, husbands, fathers — brave, kind-hearted, 
liberal, sympathetic, charitable, hospitable, 
obliging — yet bound to the earth and to the 
flesh, self-complacent, not desirous of higher 
good, with only a distant respect for spiritual 
things; men whom for their loveableness we 
hold dear, and the thought of whose perdition 
makes our hearts ache ! 

Yet not only in the world, but even in the 
church, Esau is represented. Moses, the man 
of faith, chose rather to suffer affliction with the 
people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin 
for a season; but these are allured by the pleas- 
ures of sin and forsake the lot of God's people. 
He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater 
riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he looked 
unto the recompense of reward; but these know 



186 Lessons on Hebrews. 



no greater reward than treasures of gold, and 
forsake the cross of Christ at the call of Mam- 
mon, honor, popularity, or fleshly gratification. 
It is the same conflict between faith and sight, 
the things seen and the things unseen. 

We have a birthright. Glorious as that of 
Esau or Jacob was, ours is greater. We are 
sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and belong 
to the general assembly and church of the first- 
born whose names are written in heaven. Take 
heed that you sell not this infinite privilege and 
blessing for any of the trifles and vanities of the 
world, the flesh, and the devil. You cannot 
have both. Take Christ, and you crucify the 
flesh; follow the flesh, and you crucify to your- 
self afresh the Son of God. There is an 6 ' after- 
wards" both to the life of faith and the sensual 
life. As some one said regarding the prodigal 
son: "Every 'when' has its 'then:' 'When he 
had spent all, then a mighty famine arose in 
that country. ' ' 9 So here. When he desired to 
inherit the blessing, then there was no longer 
any possibility of it; and he "cried with an ex- 
ceeding great and bitter cry." ( Gen. 27: 34.) 
After the sowing time comes the reaping; and 
as sow one thing or another we must, even so 
must we reap what we have sown: "He that 
soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap 
corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



187 



shall of the Spirit reap eternal life." (Gal. 
6: 8.) 

* * * 

Great and dreadful are thy words, Jehovah 
our Father; and the lessons we have learned to- 
day cut us to the heart. We are not such as 
thou wouldest have us to be; for neither have 
we ever earnestly endeavored to follow after 
holiness, and to be pure as Christ is pure, holy 
as thou art holy; but, on the other hand, we 
have too often entertained the spirit of Esau. 
But now T in this day of salvation we come to 
thee for forgiveness and healing and help. 
Lord, increase our faith. May we by thy grace 
have boldness to refuse Satan all quarters, and 
make no allowance for sin, no provisions for the 
flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Thou wilt be 
with us in the conflict if we truly trust. We can 
do all things through Christ that strengthened 
us. Keep us from the power of darkness and 
temptation, and preserve us until we shall ob- 
tain the promise of the eternal inheritance, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

(Heb. 12: 18-29.) 
Note each point of contrast between the two 
covenants here given. Why greater responsi- 
bility on us ? What awful revelation of God in 
his attitude toward the rebellious? 



188 Lessons on Hebrews. 



LESSON XXII. — HEB. 12: 18-29. 

18 For ye are not came unto a mount that might be 
touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and 
darkness, and tempest, 19 and the sound of a trumpet, and 
the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated 
that no word more should be spoken unto them; 20 for 
they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a 
beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; 21 and so 
fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly 
fear and quake: 22 but ye are come unto mount Zion, and 
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, 
and to innumerable hosts of angels, 23 to the general as- 
sembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in 
heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of 
just men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus the mediator of 
a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speak- 
eth better than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him 
that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused 
him that warned them on earth, much more shall not we 
escape who turn away from him that warneth from heaven: 
26 whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath 
promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not 
the earth only, but also the heaven. 27 And this word, Yet 
once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are 
shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things 
which are not shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore, receiv- 
ing a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, 
whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with 
reverence and awe: 29 for our God is a consuming fire. 

III. Final Contrasts. (Verses 18-29.) 

Let us consider our privilege. We are not 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



189 



come to Mount Sinai, with its awful phenom- 
ena, its terrible voice which dismayed the peo- 
ple and made them to plead tremblingly for a 
mediator. (Dent. 18: 16.) We are not under 
the law, but under grace. We have not received 
the spirit of bondage again unto fear, but the 
spirit of adoption, whereby we cry: 4 'Abba, Fa- 
ther." That covenant looked backward to the 
tangible, material mount (the "mount that 
might be touched") ; but ours looks forward to, 
and centers in, Mount Zion, the city of the liv- 
ing God, the heavenly Jerusalem, invisible, spir- 
itual — "not made with hands, that is to say, 
not of this creation." It is not simply a thing- 
future and distant, whither as strangers and 
pilgrims we travel; we have already come to it 
in a sense. We are connected with it, in fellow- 
ship with it. Our citizenship is there. (Phil. 
3: 20.) We are in communion with God, the 
Judge of all (Eom. 8: 33), and Jesus, the me- 
diator of a new covenant; in contact with the 
sanctifying blood — better than that of Abel's 
sacrifice and all sacrifices like it; put in rela- 
tionship with innumerable hosts of angels 
(compare Heb. 1: 14; Ps. 34: 7); in fellowship 
with the spirits of just men made perfect — the 
saints of God, who lived by faith in bygone 
days, and who are now awaiting the day of their 
glorious resurrection — and with the whole 



190 Lessors ox Hebrews. 



church of God, the assembly of the firstborn 
(James 1: 18), whose names are enrolled in 
heaven. 

The lesson, however, which God in those days 
of rudimentary teaching, under the former cov- 
enant, first impressed on his people — the great- 
ness, power, awful glory, majesty, and consum- 
ing holiness of his presence — was not to be for- 
gotten. True, we have come to know the tender 
mercy and love of our God, but that fundamen- 
tal reverence and fear is the groundwork of all 
our faith. God has not changed. If he was ter- 
rible then, so is he now. But our attitude to- 
ward him has changed. "We have fled to him, 
instead of from him, and his terror has become 
our defense and our refuge. We are in Christ, 
clothed with a perfect righteousness, delivered 
through the blood from that wrath which must 
surely fall upon every sinner. "Woe unto him 
that forsakes his fortress! The liberties of the 
new covenant are not of the nature of license to 
sin. Its wonderful privileges furnish no immu- 
nity to the willful sinner. "Therefore we ought 
to give the more earnest heed to the things that 
were heard, lest haply we drift away from them. 
For if the word spoken through angels proved 
steadfast, and every transgression and disobedi- 
ence received a just recompense of reward; how 
shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salva- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 191 



tion ? ' ' (Heb. 2 : 1-3. ) "A man that hath set at 
naught Moses' law dieth without compassion on 
the word of two or three witnesses ; of how much 
sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged 
worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son 
of God, and hath counted the blood of the cove- 
nant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy 
thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of 
grace? For we know him that said, Vengeance 
belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And 
again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a 
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living 
God." (Heb. 10: 28-31.) 

It is evident, then, that the greater glory and 
privilege of the new covenant is coupled with 
graver responsibility. We dare not, must not, 
think of turning back. Behind us is only de- 
struction — the wrath of God revealed from 
heaven. 6 ' Remember Lot ? s wife. ' ' Our hope is 
in pressing onward, forward, at any cost, nearer 
to God, on to perfection. Let us say with Paul: 
"This one thing I do." Let no one be discour- 
aged over failures past or present; only press 
on. You cannot fail if this is your motto. Look 
ahead; go ahead. Hell is behind, heaven before. 

The old covenant, indeed, was a covenant of 
slavish fear and terror; but while the slavery 
has been abolished and we do not dread God as 
a taskmaster, but rather love and serve him as 



192 



Lessons ox Hebrews. 



a Father in nearness and confidence, we need to 
cling close to him, lest, becoming presumptuous 
and neglectful, we should yet have to meet him 
as Judge and Avenger. God forbid it! With 
greater authority, greater power, greater glory, 
comes now the call of God from heaven. "See 
that ye refuse not him that speaketh." If it 
was a serious matter under the old covenant, it 
is yet more so now. (Heb. 12: 25.) 

Now he points us on to the end of things. 
"Yet once more" — only once more — will God 
shake, not the earth only, but also the heaven — 
a final shaking, in which all that is human and 
subject to ruin shall fall into ruins. "For the 
things which are seen are temporal; but the 
things which are not seen are eternal." "The 
world passeth away, and the lust thereof." 
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; 
in the which the heavens shall pass away with 
a great noise, and the elements shall be dis- 
solved with fervent heat, and the earth and the 
works that are therein shall be burned up." 
Then where shall the Esaus appear — who lived 
on the earth, were of the earth; whose aspira- 
tions were for the earth; whose hopes, pleas- 
ures, and treasures are in the earth? But you — 
6 ' seeing that these things are thus all to be dis- 
solved, what manner of persons ought ye to be 



Lessons on Hebrews. 193 



in all holy living and godliness?" (2 Pet. 3: 
10-13.) 

Not simply will it be a destruction, but a re- 
moval of all that is thus shaken. (Compare 
Rev. 20: 11.) "The first things are passed 
away. And he that sitteth on the throne said, 
Behold, I make all things new." (Eev. 21: 4, 
5.) Then will be a new heaven and a new earth, 
in which dwelleth righteousness ; and then shall 
we have our place in the heavenly Jerusalem, 
amid the innumerable hosts of angels, with God 
the Judge of all and with Jesus the Savior, and 
shall go out thence no more. 

Jerusalem, the golden, with milk and honey blest, 
Beneath thy contemplation sink heart and voice oppressed. 
I know not — O, I know not! — what social joys are there, 
What radiancy of glory, what light beyond compare. 

That Jerusalem is the glorified church, and 
pertains to the kingdom which cannot be 
shaken. If, then, we deem it a prize worthy of 
our life, "let us have grace [for not without it 
can we hope to attain], whereby we may offer 
service well-pleasing to God with reverence and 
awe: for our God is a consuming fire." 

* £ £ 

Keep thou before our eyes, our Father in 
heaven, the hope of our calling, and the riches 

13 



194 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



of the glory of thy inheritance in the saints, 
and the exceeding greatness of thy power to 
usward who believe, which has been manifested 
in the resurrection of Christ from the dead. 
With such assurance of help and grace, and 
with the view of thy eternal promises and the 
glory of our Father's house, let us walk in thy 
love and in the fellowship of Jesus. Help us to 
realize that if we turn away, it is only to dark- 
ness and despair, without a single ray of hope 
to lighten the path; and if we press on unto per- 
fection, it is light and glory and joy, without a 
single shadow of cloud or menace of hell. Fa- 
ther, preserve us from the eternal failure; we 
flee unto thee for refuge. Keep us unto thy 
heavenly kingdom, and set us before the pres- 
ence of thy glory without blemish in exceeding 
joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

« * £ 

Questions and Suggestions for the Next Lesson. 

Heb. 13 is a chapter of various exhortations 
and admonitions, and the concluding chapter. 
What is the importance of brotherly love? 
Who entertained angels unawares? What ap- 
plication does he make of the quotation in 
verse 6? 



Lessons on Hebrews. 195 



LESSON XXIII. — HEB. 13: 1-6. 

1 Let love of the brethren continue. 2 Forget not to 
show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained 
angels unawares. 3 Remember them that are in bonds, as 
bound with them; them that are ill-treated, as being your- 
selves also in the body. 4 Let marriage ~be had in honor 
among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and 
adulterers God will judge. 5 Be ye free from the love of 
money; content with such things as ye have: for himself 
hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any 
wise forsake thee. 6 So that with good courage we say, 

The Lord is my helper; I will not fear: 

What shall man do unto me? 

Final Exhortations. 

Brotherly Love. — Let it continue. Hold it 
fast. Do not let it die out. Without it Chris- 
tianity has no meaning. The greatest of all the 
graces, it is also the chief end and aim and fruit. 
It includes all else. There are many command- 
ments, many virtues; but love sums them all up. 
There are many tasks to be got, many problems 
to be solved; but the one lesson of it all is love. 
"The end of the charge is love out of a pure 
heart and a good conscience and faith un- 
feigned." (1 Tim. 1:5.) "Seeing ye have pu- 
rified your souls in your obedience to the truth 
unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one 



196 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



another from the heart fervently." (1 Pet. 1: 
22.) By it does God recognize us as his chil- 
dren. " Every one that loveth is begotten of 
God." (1 John 4: 7.) Love is the mark by 
which the world is to know us. "By this shall 
all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye 
have love one to another." (John 13: 35.) 
And, thirdly, that is our own means of knowing 
that we stand right with God. "We know that 
we have passed out of death into life, because 
we love the brethren." (1 John 3: 14.) If we 
have been exhorted to continue steadfastly in 
faith and hope, now he says: "Let brotherly 
love continue." But let no one suppose that 
this love is obtainable except through faith and 
hope and the obedience connected. We cannot 
learn this supreme lesson without taking in 
God's school. We cannot have the full ear 
without root or blade or stalk. In all our Chris- 
tian walks let us keep our eye on love, remem- 
bering that it is to be the essential purpose of 
all we believe, confess, or practice. 

Hospitality. — Not simply hospitality, but hos- 
pitality "without grudging" (1 Pet. 4: 9), free, 
liberal, full of kindness. Show love unto stran- 
gers, more especially to those who need it and 
cannot requite you by entertaining you again. 
(Luke 14: 12-14.) This is evidently not simply 
the sentimental love, but the practical kind — 



Lessons on Hebrews. 197 



not without its proper sentiment, for sentiment 
and practice are hard to divorce. "My little 
children, let us not love in word, neither with 
the tongue; but in deed and truth." (1 John 3: 
18.) We are unduly exercised over the danger 
of bestowing a gift upon an unworthy person, 
ostensibly because we are 6 6 afraid to encourage 
them in idleness," and lest we actually "do 
them an injury by helping them along when 
they ought to help themselves, ' ' etc. Often, how- 
ever, the real reason is that we grudge to give 
to or to do for others, especially for strangers and 
very needy people ; and so we get very scrupu- 
lous about doing them an injury indirectly, and 
willing rather to risk doing them a real and di- 
rect injury by withholding from them what 
they ought to have. It is an instance of Phar- 
isaism — straining out gnats and swallowing a 
camel. If I am imposed upon, it is only a mis- 
take; if I misjudge, and accordingly mistreat, 
another, it is a cruel wrong. Which should I 
risk? True, there is room for wisdom in be- 
stowing gifts and hospitality. True, there are 
many who habitually lean and sponge on their 
fellows and 6 6 beat their way ' ' through life. But 
while God sharply rebukes such persons, say- 
ing, "If any will not work, neither let him eat," 
yet he adds this to those who had been imposed 
upon: "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well- 



198 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



doing. " (2 Thess. 3: 10-13.) And when a man 
is in need, it is no good time to ask questions. 
Sometimes, as Victor Hugo says, it is the man 
who has most reason for wishing to conceal his 
name that needs our help most. Let us not be 
overinquisitive or overscrupulous there, that 
we may be the children of our Father who is in 
heaven; "for he maketh his sun to rise on the 
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the 
just and on the unjust. ' ' And have you never 
received a gift of his unworthily or misused one 
of his blessings J ? Yet he has not withdrawn his 
help. 

As to the question, "Who entertained angels 
unawares?" there is, as far as I know, but one 
case on record — Lot. (Gen. 19.) Abraham 
(Gen. 18) showed by the form of his address 
(in the Hebrew) that he recognized the great- 
ness of his visitors, whereas Lot seems to have 
taken them as ordinary travelers. We have op- 
portunity of entertaining not only angels, but 
the Lord himself. "Inasmuch as ye did it unto 
one of these my brethren, even these least, ye 
did it unto me. ? ' 

Brotherly Sympathy. — If we are bound to- 
gether in the same body, having the same Head, 
the same life, the same Spirit, the same hope, 
sympathy follows as a natural inference. How 
quickly, in the physical body, one member flies 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



199 



to the relief of another! How the whole frame 
is distressed over the suffering of one part! 
So let it be in the body of Christ. Rejoice with 
them that do rejoice; weep with them that 
weep. "And whether one member suffereth, all 
the members suffer with it; or one member is 
honored, all the members rejoice with it. ? ' ( See 
ICor. 12: 25-27.) 

Marriage. — Marriage is holy before God and 
must be held in honor among men. God him- 
self is the avenger of any breach of fidelity 
in the marriage relation. (1 Thess. 4:6.) Any 
laxity on this point is simply the undermining 
of the foundations of society, family, State, and 
religion. Moreover, there will be terrible indi- 
vidual retribution. (Prov. 6: 27-29.) God will 
see to that. David's sin was forgiven him, but 
the rest of his days were embittered by its con- 
sequences, and his whole posterity after him 
labored under the curse of the sword which 
came upon his family because of the crime. 
And what will God do about the adulterers and 
adulteresses of to-day, who, under the cover of 
law and the name of "divorce," flagrantly vio- 
late the holiest obligation of earthly life? "Be 
not deceived; God is not mocked." They shall 
in no wise go unpunished. 

The popular novels of to-day, the scenes en- 
acted upon the stage and in the moving pic- 



200 Lessons on Hebrews. 



tures, often turn upon marital unfaithfulness, 
sometimes representing it in pleasing and at- 
tractive guise. Thus the youth of the land be- 
come accustomed to look upon this evil. It be- 
comes a familiar thing, and the natural, high- 
principled abhorrence of this great wrong wears 
away. What will the outcome be? 

Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, 
As, to be hated, needs but to be seen; 
But seen too often face to face, 
We first endure, then pity, then embrace. 

Shun the popular novel! Shun the theater! 
Impurity, vice, adultery, are there broadly, 
shamelessly flaunted into your face, arrayed 
with all the glitter and enticement of the world. 
Abhor that false, devilish sentimentality that 
speaks of "soul affinity," and "souls that met 
in space and recognized each other," and 
"hearts that were made for each other," etc., 
in excuse of adultery — fine, specious phrases to 
hide the enormity of its wickedness; the 
spawn of filthy minds, the perfumed lies where- 
with they cover the abyss of their foul putrid- 
ity; the hypocrisies of Satan clothed in high- 
sounding poetry and philosophy; the venom of 
hell in palatable form. Flee every suggestion 
of this terrible, damnable sin! The wife's first 
earthly duty is to her husband; the husband's, 
to his wife. They are joined for better or worse. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 201 



If for worse, it is a school of patient endurance, 
doing the will of God, learning love, meekness, 
and goodness under difficulties. And Grod will 
not forsake those who in the fear of him bear 
that burden — yea, he is able to bring forth light 
out of gloom and change the burden into a bless- 
ing even in the earthly days. (Ps. 27 : 13.) But 
for divorce there is no reason or excuse, save 
that which is written. (Matt. 5: 32.) 

The Love of Money. — Free from the love of 
money. Of all that is in the world — its lust, its 
glory, its pride — money represents the sum. 
Therefore the love of money is the love of the 
world. The world is purchasable with money, 
and most men seek the world through the chan- 
nel of money. Money is a god, in whose service 
and worship thousands in Christian lands spend 
their lives. "Mammon" is his name. Love 
him, and he will come to you; trust him, and 
he will furnish you with all you want and need 
and wish for as to this life. Therefore, cov- 
etousness (the love of money) is idolatry. 
What I look to and trust in for my support, that 
is my god. (Job 31: 24, 25, 28.)' And as idol- 
atry has always been the source of darkness, 
degradation, and every sort of crime, so here 
also; for "the love of money is a root of all 
kinds of evil: which some reaching after have 
been led astray from the faith, and have pierced 



202 Lessons on Hebrews. 



themselves through with many sorrows." (1 
Tim. 6: 10.) 

This love of money is occasioned in the first 
place by an anxious concern for the morrow. 
What shall I eat? What shall I drink ? Where- 
withal shall I be clothed? Now you may seek 
assurance on these questions in two ways. One 
would be to look to money, laying it up in store, 
hoarding it, securing it, obtaining it by all 
means ; the other, to look to the true and living 
God, who owns all things and who has all 
power. As soon as you draw this distinction, 
however, some one is ready to say: "Yes, but 
you must work. God will give you nothing if 
you do not work." No one denies that men 
should work. But you can do the same thing 
on different principles. One may be, to use an 
illustration, circumcised for hygienic reasons; 
another, as a religious act. Both did the same 
thing; but the one did no wrong, whereas the 
other rejected Christ. One man is baptized to 
obey God; another, to win the favor of certain 
church members. Both did the same thing; but 
the one pleased God, the other was an abomina- 
tion to him. So one man works, and he is serv- 
ing God the while he does it ; another works, and 
is an idolater — doing service to mammon. 
Moreover, one man works to secure his own 
welfare and comfort; and having thus fixed 



Lessons on Hebrews. 203 



himself comfortably, he looks around to see 
what he can do for God's kingdom with what 
he may happen to have left. Another seeks 
first "the kingdom of God, and his righteous- 
ness," trusting that as he is faithful to God, 
God will be faithful to him. Which is better? 
Which is right ? 

Note now carefully the argument of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. (Matt. 6: 19-34.) "Lay not up." 
Earthly treasures are uncertain. Treasure in 
heaven is better. ' ' Where your treasure is, there 
will your heart be also. ' ' The single eye — just 
the one good end in view, just the one purpose — 
that means light to the whole man. "No man 
can serve two masters." "Ye cannot serve 
God and mammon." "Therefore" — mark it. 
t < Therefore I say unto you, Be not anxious for 
your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall 
drink." Do not throw away your life for food 
or your body for the sake of raiment. There are 
higher uses. The life is worth more than the 
food; the body, more than the raiment. God 
cares for all his creatures — even the birds, the 
lilies, the grass. How much more shall he see 
to you and your needs! Do not be anxious, 
therefore, for such things. The Gentiles, who 
know not God, do that. "But seek ye first the 
kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all 
these things shall be added unto you. 9 1 Aim at 



204 Lessons on Hebrews. 



the higher things, and the lower shall be ad- 
justed. Even as Solomon desired wisdom 
above all, and he received it and everything else 
thrown in besides, so shall it be with you. Seek 
after God's kingdom and righteousness. Let 
this be your single aim day by day. All things 
else will come in incidentally. God careth for 
his own. 

There is no fetter or clog on the church so 
heavy as this concern about money and "what 
shall we eat?" etc. If it were not for that, how 
many missionaries would go out! What will- 
ingness to support those who have gone out! 
How much liberality, charity, good works! 
How much self-denial, devotion, and earnest, 
self-sacrificing effort would result if there were 
faith to believe what God has actually said on 
this subject! And see now what assurance God 
has given us here: "Be ye free from the love of 
money; content with such things as ye have: for 
himself hath said, I will in no wise fail thee, 
neither will I in any wise forsake thee. So that 
with good courage we say, The Lord is my 
helper; I will not fear: what shall man do unto 
me?" For where God "himself" says such 
things, we may "with good courage" respond 
as above. It is a question of believing in God 
and trusting ourselves unreservedly into his 
faithful hands. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 205 



Our Father, we pray that thou make us to 
abound more and more in love toward our 
brethren and toward all men; for this prayer 
thou didst thyself, by the Holy Spirit, put into 
the mouth of thy servant, Paul. It is good, and 
thou wilt hear it. May we excel before thee in 
this, the greatest of all the virtues and graces, 
that we may be like thee, for thy name is 
"Love." May thy love fill our hearts and 
through us extend to men— to the poor and to 
the stranger who knocks at our door; to the 
brethren who are suffering privations and af- 
flictions and persecutions; in our home circles, 
in parents toward children, in children toward 
parents, in husband toward wife, in wife to- 
ward husband. To those who are battling with 
domestic difficulties, be thou a forgiving and 
gracious Helper, lest they fall into condemna- 
tion. Help thou thy children who are wives to 
wear that ornament which is in the sight of God 
of great price — a meek and quiet spirit — and by 
their chaste behavior, coupled with fear, com- 
mand the respect of their husbands and win them 
to Christ; and husbands, that they may give 
honor unto their wives and love them even as 
Christ also loved the church. Lord, preserve 
thou the purity and sanctity of our Christian 
homes; may thy peace rule in them; and keep 
each one of us from contamination from the cor- 



206 Lessons on Hebrews. 



ruption that is in the world. Inasmuch as thou 
hast called us, like Abraham, to seek after the 
things unseen, help us to renounce the love of 
money; for money is the chief representative of 
things that are seen, and our hearts are prone 
to cleave unto it for want of faith. Lord, we 
believe; help thou our unbelief. May we seek 
after the higher things with single eye, and in 
boldness, inspired by thy eternal promise, ex- 
claim: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear!" 
In Jesus' name. Amen. 



Lessons on Hebrews. 207 



LESSON XXIV.— HEB. 13: 7-21. 

7 Remember them that had the rule over you, men that 
spake unto you the word of God; and considering the issue 
of their life, imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same 
yesterday and to-day, yea and for ever. 9 Be not carried 
away by divers and strange teachings: for it is goad that 
the heart be established by grace; not by meats, wherein 
they that occupied themselves were not profited. 10 We 
have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat that serve 
the tabernacle. 11 For the bodies of those beasts whose 
blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as 
an offering for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Where- 
fore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through 
his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us there- 
fore go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his re- 
proach. 14 For we have not here an abiding city, but we 
seek after the city which is to come. 15 Through him then 
let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that 
is, the fruit of lips which make confession to his name. 
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with 
such sacrifices God is well pleased. 17 Obey them that have 
the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in 
behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that 
they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this 
were unprofitable for you. 

18 Pray for us: for we are persuaded that we have a good 
conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things. 19 And 
I exhort you the more exceedingly to do this, that I may 
be restored to you the sooner. 

20 Now the God of peace, who brought again from the 
dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an 
eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, 21 make you per- 



208 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



feet in every good thing to do his will, working in us that 
which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; 
to whom &e the glory for ever and ever. Amen. 

"Them That Had the Rule Over You." 

To whom does it refer? (Verse 7.) Note it 
is not those that "have," but those who "had," 
the rule. They have it no more. Not those who 
"speak," but those who once "spake," the 
word of God. They are passed away, for he 
says "considering the issue of their life." So 
their lives were finished. "We must conclude 
that they were the men of God of old — patri- 
archs, kings, leaders, judges; prophets espe- 
cially, from Moses to Malachi. They are held 
up as examples repeatedly. (See Heb. 11; 
James 5: 10; Matt. 5: 12.) 

But when in verse 17 we meet the expression, 
"Obey them that have the rule over you," it 
can have reference only to the elders, for they 
are those that watch in behalf of your souls. 

It is well here to consider Matt. 20: 25-28. 
The elders have no absolute authority or rule. 
It is written (by Peter himself, fortunately, to 
the confounding of the extravagant claims of 
those styled his successors) that they were not 
to lord it over God's heritage. (1 Pet. 5: 2, 3.) 
Christ alone is Euler and Lord. But the elders, 
by loving concern for the welfare of the souls, 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



209 



by patient teaching and the power of true ex- 
ample, were to keep the Christians in the way 
of truth. It is not the elders 9 privilege to com- 
mand, to dictate, to make arbitrary rales and 
requirements. The fear of being lorded over 
by self-willed, puffed-up, stubborn men pre- 
vents many congregations from having any eld- 
ers at all. It would, indeed, be a bad move to 
place such power in the hands of a few men 
who think they must thenceforth take it upon 
themselves to "run" the church and possibly 
tyrannize over it. But that never was God's 
will. The elders' rule lies simply in the gos- 
pel — the teaching and practice of the same. 
But in matters of expediency, while their judg- 
ment is always worthy of special deference, they 
can submit as gracefully as any one else. 

"Divers and Strange Teachings." 

There are minds peculiarly fascinated by any- 
thing that is new and strange. Let every one 
who recognizes this tendency in himself cling 
with firmer purpose to God's word. There are 
some who are always seeking after things curi- 
ous rather than profitable, forever tunneling 
beneath the surface to find something queer and 
unusual. There is a pride of reason that glories 
in its keenness of discrimination and logical 
acumen, but which can be only displeasing to 

14 



210 



Lessons on Hebkews. 



Him who dwells with those who are poor and of 
a contrite spirit, who tremble at his word. 
There is a self-conceit that is forever seeking 
applanse by unheard-of arguments, fanciful in- 
terpretations ; that boasts of being different 
from others and having peculiar ideas. This 
disposition must be overcome, for we shall 
never attain unto truth that way. God's light 
is for the humble, the poor in spirit, rather than 
for the philosophers and hair-splitters and wise- 
acres of this world. We shall be original and 
peculiar enough if we are true to ourselves and 
read the Bible, not with a view of being either 
like others or differing from them, but with sim- 
ple intent to learn the will of God in humility 
that we may do it, But this far-fetchedness and 
this effort at originality is weak and wrong; it 
leads both thee and thy hearers away from the 
truth into fads and fancies, "divers and strange 
teachings." 

Beware especially of the preposterous claims 
of those who claim to have direct revelations or 
"inner light" on the Bible which is not acces- 
sible to others. There is the pope of Eome, in- 
fallible in cathedra; Emanuel Swedenborg, spe- 
cially illumined; Mrs. E. Gr. White, of Seventh- 
Day Adventist fame: Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy, 
originator of "Christian Science," whose 
"key" to the Scriptures certainly unlocks mar- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



211 



velous things "which God commanded not, nei- 
ther came they into his mind;" John Alexander 
Dowie, of peculiar memory, third Elijah, who 
managed to make his godliness a way of gain; 
the Joseph Smiths and Brigham Youngs, with 
their "apostles" and other authorities of Mor- 
mondom, who get L 6 revelations ' ' just in the nick 
of time and exactly as they wish them; and so 
forth. By accepting the claims of such you 
abandon yourself to the wild fancies and vaga- 
ries or even intrigues of men. Better follow 
your own fancies, if you are just bound to follow 
some one's. For what is the difference? But 
if you want truth, go to the fountain of God's 
word. If Paul himself, or an angel from heaven, 
preach any gospel other than what has been 
preached, let them be accursed. (Gal. 1: 8, 9.) 
False prophets come in sheep's clothing. Satan 
himself is transformed into an angel of light, 
and his ministers into ministers of righteous- 
ness. "Whom can you trust? Try the spirits, 
for many false spirits have gone out. The true 
spirit glorifies Jesus as Lord and Euler (com- 
pare Col. 2: 4-9) ; stands for a clean life, faith- 
fulness to God's word, obedience to the teach- 
ing of the apostles whom Jesus personally com- 
missioned and sent forth (1 John 4: 6). The 
true prophet has credentials from God (Heb. 2: 
4), and, above all that (for there are lying mir- 



212 Lessons on Hebrews. 



acles), speaks in strict harmony with God's 
word as already revealed. Thus Jesus, notwith- 
standing his great and mighty works, relied 
chiefly upon the (Old Testament) scriptures to 
validate his claims. (John 5 : 36-39 ; study Deut. 
18: 21 , 22; 13: 1-5.) These things are impor- 
tant, and are becoming more and more so as we 
approach the end; for false prophets and false 
Christs arise, and the many lo-here's and lo- 
there's confuse unstable minds. 

Our Priestly Privileges. 

In a spiritual sense we eat of our Sacrifice, 
J esus Christ, even as the priests of the old cov- 
enant ate of the sacrifice that typified Christ. 
(John 6: 51-57; 1 Cor. 5: 7, 8.) But the sin- 
offering under the old covenant must be wholly 
burned. (Lev. 16: 27.) They had no right to 
eat of it. 

Then he changes the figure — " without the 
camp." That word sets him on a new line of 
thought. "Without the camp" was a place of 
reproach. It meant exclusion from the society 
and fellowship of the people. Outside of the 
camp (and, later, outside the city gates) were 
the unclean and the lepers. The sacrifice was 
burned outside the camp to signify the reproach 
of sin that was laid upon it. Outside the city 
Jesus Christ, the great sin offering, was offered 



Lessons on Hebrews. 213 



up. If he did this for us, let us, then, not 
fear to bear his reproach with him. If the 
Hebrew Christians should be cast out by 
their Jewish brethren, let them not refuse 
to bear it. Then, again, if we are true Chris- 
tians, we are not of the world. The world 
will exclude us. Their frivolities, aims, amuse- 
ments, pleasures, and desires are not ours. We 
are not congenial with them. Therefore we are 
as strangers among them, cranks and fools in 
their eyes, for Christ 's sake. We shall not miss 
our measure of exclusion and persecution. But 
what matters it? We have no abiding city 
here; we seek for one to come. But in that city 
the tables will be turned. There Jesus and his 
own will dwell within the gates; but without are 
the murderers, whoremongers, dogs, sorcerers, 
idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh 
a lie. "And there shall in no wise enter into it 
anything unclean: . . . but only they that 
are written in the Lamb's book of life." Re- 
member, my brother, we cannot be "within the 
gates" at both places. The friendship of the 
world is enmity against God. Let us be con- 
tent to be outcasts here, that we may be citizens 
and children over there. 



214 Lessons on Hebrews. 

Jesus, Our Sacrifice, Our High Priest, Once 
More. 

Only through, his blood can we minister be- 
fore God in prayer and praise and acceptable 
worship, in good works and giving. No service 
or sacrifice on any other basis than the sancti- 
fying blood can be accepted. Moreover, it must 
all go through the hands of the High Priest and 
Mediator. 

The worship of certain secret societies in 
their lodges, which is not offered on the basis 
of the atoning blood nor in the name and by the 
authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, is not ac- 
ceptable before God, and, especially in the case 
of Christians partaking in it, is little short of 
blasphemy and ' 6 counting the blood of the cov- 
enant an unholy thing. ' ' 

The Concluding Prayer. 

That the inspired writer of this Epistle be- 
lieved in more than the "reflex action' 9 of 
prayer is evident from verse 19. He actually be^ 
lieved that by means of their prayers he would 
be restored to them sooner, just as Jesus implied 
that the movements of the Eoman army and the 
plans of the Eoman general could be affected by 
the prayers of the disciples. (Matt. 24: 20.) 

The concluding prayer is beautiful. He calls 
upon the God of peace, who has done so much 



Lessons on Hebrews. 215 

to bring us unto himself, to finish the good work 
he began in us — to make us perfect in every 
good thing to do his will, "working in us that 
which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Je- 
sus Christ." (Compare Phil. 2: 12, 13.) "To 
whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." 
As when he ends the argumentative portion of 
the Epistle to the Romans: "For of him, and 
through him, and unto him, are all things. To 
him be the glory forever. Amen. ? 9 

4h ^ 

Thou God of peace, who in thy Son, our Lord 
Jesus Christ, hast prepared for us so great a sal- 
vation, who hast called us by thy gospel and 
chosen us unto obedience and sprinkling of the 
blood of Jesus Christ, work thou in us now, that 
we may work out that salvation thou hast freely 
granted to us. Make us more desirous of thy 
promises; increase our faith; make us willing to 
do thy will. May we find more blessing in 
prayer through an increase of our faith in thee; 
may we have more delight and earnestness in 
the study of thy word; may we not be ashamed 
to bear the reproach of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
that he may not be ashamed to own us before 
thee and the holy angels. Amen. 



216 Lessons on Hebrews. 



Suggestions and Questions for the Next Lesson. 

Bead the Epistle again. Go over each chap- 
ter and sum up what is taught about God, about 
Christ, and the way of rightly dividing the 
word. What are the chief admonitions and ex- 
hortations? What do you consider the key- 
note? Note the contrasts and comparisons. 
What requirement of God does he exalt most of 
all? 



Lessons on Hebrews. 217 



LESSON XXV.— A VIEW OF THE WHOLE 
OF HEBREWS. 

What Does This Epistle Teach About God? 

1. God spoke to men through prophets and 
through Jesus Christ. (1: 1, 2.) 

2. God bore witness to the apostles of Christ. 
(2:4.) 

3. God subjected all things to Christ. (2:8.) 

4. All things are for God and through God. 
(2: 10; compare Eom. 11: 36.) 

5. God made the plan of "bringing many 
sons unto glory. ' ' (2:10.) 

6. God made the Author of our salvation 
(Christ) perfect through sufferings. (2: 10.) 

7. God built all things. (3:4.) 

8. God is a living God (not, as some even to- 
day seem to think, a figurehead — a deaf, dumb, 
dead, powerless being). (3: 12; 9: 14; 10: 31.) 

9. God has a people. (4:9.) 

10. "There is no creature that is not mani- 
fest in his sight: but all things are naked and 
laid open before the eyes of him." (4: 13.) 

11. We have to deal with God whether we 
wish to or not — "him with whom we have to 
do." (4: 13.) 



218 Lessons on Hebbews. 



12. God called Christ to the high-priesthood. 
(5: 4-6, 10.) 

13. God blesses him who brings forth good 
fruit. (6:7.) 

14. God is not unrighteous or unfair. He 
does not forget our work and our love toward 
his name, which is manifested in showing kind- 
ness and doing service to his children. (6: 10.) 

15. God assured the heirs of the promise by 
two immutable things — his promise and his 
oath. (6: 17, 18.) 

16. It is impossible for God to lie. (6: 18.) 

17. God found fault with the people under 
the old covenant, and announced a new cove- 
nant, in which they should be recipients of 
greater privileges and mercies. (8: 7-12.) 

18. God, toward one who meets him in guilt, 
is a terrible avenger and judge. "It is a fear- 
ful thing to fall into the hands of the living 
God." (10: 30, 31.) 

19. God's soul has no pleasure in him that 
shrinks back. (10: 38.) 

20. God is. (11: 6.) 

21. God is 4 *'a rewarder of them that seek 
after him." (11: 6.) 

22. God is the builder and maker of our heav- 
enly city. (11: 10, 16.) 

23. God has special favors for those who trust 
in him. (11: 4, 5, 7, 11, 16, 19, 32-40.) 



Lessons on Hebrews. 219 



24. God chastens and scourges his sons in 
wisdom and love, that they may be partakers 
of his holiness. (12: 5-10.) 

25. God is the Father of spirits. Our earthly 
fathers are represented, by way of contradis- 
tinction, as the "fathers of our flesh." (12: 9.) 

26. God will shake and remove heaven and 
earth. (12: 27.) 

27. Our God is "a consuming fire.'' (12:29.) 

28. God will judge all adulterers. (13: 4.) 

29. God will in no wise fail us or forsake us 
(if we love and trust him rather than money), 
and will be our helper (in such emergencies 
where people usually depend upon money for 
help). (13:5,6.) 

30. God is well pleased with such sacrifices 
as praise, benevolence, fellowship with breth- 
ren in earthly things, if they are offered 
through Christ (13: 15, 16.) 

31. God is "the God of peace." (13: 20.) 

32. God raised Jesus from the dead. (13: 
20.) 

33. God can and will make us "perfect in 
every good thing to do his will, working in us 
that which is well pleasing in his sight, through 
Jesus Christ." (13: 21.) 



220 



Lessons on Hebrews. 



What Does the Epistle Teach Concerning 
Christ? 

Christ is held up from first to last. The 
writer sees in that the only hope of rescue for 
the half-hearted Christians. Look to Christ. 
Consider Christ. Space would fail if the teach- 
ing concerning Christ were as particularly item- 
ized as that concerning God above. But let the 
student draw up a list of things taught con- 
cerning Christ in this Epistle, making an effort 
to note down every particular statement, in rev- 
erence and godly fear. Here only some main 
facts can be given. 

Chapter 1. Christ the agent through whom 
the world was made, the heir of all things, the 
upholder of all the universe (verses 2, 3) — 
therefore, first, last, and middle; God's spokes- 
man (verse 2) and perfect representative ("im- 
age" — verse 3); made purification of our sins; 
sitting at the right hand of God — the place of 
honor of the universe; far greater than the an- 
gels (verses 5, 6, etc.); called "God" (verse 8) 
and "Lord" (verse 10) in the old Scriptures 
(from which these words are quoted). 

Chapter 2. Was made for a little while lower 
than the angels, but now crowned with glory 
and honor; tasted, by the grace of God, death 
for every man; was perfected through suffer- 



Lessons on Hebrews. 221 



ing to be the author of our salvation; made com- 
mon cause with us, having taken human nature 
upon him and calling us "brethren;" was made 
like us; was tempted and suffered that he might 
be able to succor us. 

Chapter 3. He is the Apostle and High Priest 
of our confession; worthy of more honor than 
Moses; a Son over God's house (whose house 
are we). 

Chapter 4. Christ is a great High Priest, the 
Son of God, and has passed through the heav- 
ens (into God's presence). 

Chapter 5. Christ fulfills in himself the char- 
acteristics of the true high priest; but is not 
after the order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek. 
He had to learn obedience through sufferings, 
and (thus) became "the author of eternal sal- 
vation to them that obey him. 9 9 

Chapter 6. Jesus is our forerunner, entered 
within the veil, by right of his being high 
priest forever "after the order of Melchize- 
dek." 

Chapter 7. He is not made priest "after the 
law of a carnal commandment, but after the 
power of an endless life." He is "the surety 
of a better covenant, ' ' and ' 6 able to save to the 
uttermost them that draw near unto God 
through him, seeing he ever liveth to make in- 
tercession for them. ' ' 



222 Lessons on Hebrews. 



Chapter 8. He is the minister of the true tab- 
ernacle, the real sanctuary in the heavens; the 
mediator of a better covenant. 

Chapter 9. Not only high priest, but also 
sacrifice, his blood cleanses us; his death began 
a new testament, and he "put away sin by the 
sacrifice of himself." Christ "shall appear a 
second time, apart from sin, to them that wait 
for him, unto salvation. ' 9 

Chapter 10. Christ brought a sacrifice of a 
spotless body surrendered to perfect obedience 
unto God, unto death, according to the will of 
God. "By which will we have been sanctified 
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ 
once for all." "Yet a very little while, he 
[Christ] that cometh shall come, and shall not 
tarry. ' ' 

Chapter 12. Jesus as a perfect example of the 
life of faith. (Verses 2, 3.) 

Chapter 13. Through him (only) our praises 
and good works are acceptable to God. He is 
the ' ' great shepherd of the sheep, ' ' whom God 
raised up from the dead. Through him God 
works in us "that which is well pleasing in his 
sight." 

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Now in like manner go over the chapters and 
see where the Holy Spirit is mentioned and 



Lessons on Hebrews. 223 



what is said of him. (2: 4; 3: 7; 9: 8, 14; 10: 

15. ) 

Look again at the chief admonitions, warn- 
ings, exhortations. (2: 1-4; 3: 7 to 4: 11; 5: 11 
to 6: 20; 10: 19-39; 12; 13.) 

Note most especially what God teaches us on 
the right way of dividing his word. 

1. Main division. (1: 1, 2.) 

2. Who first spoke our salvation and who con- 
firmed it to us. (2: 3, 4.) 

3. Christ became the author of our salvation 
after he had been perfected through sufferings 
and had been named high priest after the order 
of Melchizedek. (5: 9, 10.) 

4. Change of law followed the change of 
priesthood. (7: 12.) When did Christ become 
priest? (7: 28.) 

5. The old and the new covenant. (8: 6-13; 
10: 9, 10; 12: 24.) 

6. After Christ's death, a new testament. (9: 

16, 17.) 

7. The old law, but a shadow, figure, and 
testimony to the new. ( 3 : 5 ; 8 : 2, 4, 5 ; 9 : 8, 23. ) 

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The keynote is," Behold the Christ ; ' ' and faith 
is pointed out as the great thing needful. The 
words "boldness," "glorying of hope," "con- 



224 Lessons on Hebrews. 



fidence, " " strong encouragement, " " hope, ' ' 
" faith and patience," "not shrinking back," 
"counting God faithful," "looking unto Je- 
sus" — these are expressive of the one great 
need of the lukewarm, faint-hearted, backslid- 
ing Christians, and are in their connection but 
descriptive of simple faith. 

Repeated reading of Hebrews will now bring 
you richer returns than ever. New meanings will 
reveal themselves, obscure places become plain, 
seemingly insignificant phrases become impor- 
tant, new trains of thought be discovered ; a word 
here and there recurring arrests your attention, 
and you begin to note how often and in what 
senses it is used. Do not drop Hebrews now 
simply because these lessons are ended. Now 
is your reaping time. Read it and study it and 
meditate on it in view of the God who spoke it, 
reverently, prayerfully. Every hour thus occu- 
pied will be an hour in which you shall be kept 
from sin and during which you are being for- 
tified to resist sin at some future time. 

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Holy Father, thy word is an exceedingly great 
and precious gift to the humble, contrite soul. 
So full of sweetness and love and truth, the ex- 
pression of thy divine mind, it fills us with peace 



Lessons on Hebrews. 225 



and assurance and power to serve thee. Its 
wealth of truths and wonderful revelations is 
unsearchable. Truly thy thoughts are as much 
higher than our thoughts as the heavens are 
high above the earth, and through them thou 
dost lift us up to thyself. Grant unto thy chil- 
dren that the healthier desire of thy word, the 
true food of the soul, may supplant the perverse 
appetite for the poor wisdom and news of this 
world which is passing away. Having now ar- 
rived at the close of these lessons, we commend 
our work and study into thy hands for blessing 
and results; and may this be the beginning 
point with us of more earnest and thorough 
study of that word which is able to build us up 
and give us the inheritance among the sancti- 
fied, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

15 



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